§ Lord Aveburyasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether, in accordance with their policy of open government, they will require all boards of visitors of Her Majesty's prisons in England and Wales to publish their annual reports. [HL1833]
187WA
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord Williams of Mostyn)Each board of visitors has a statutory duty under Prison Rule 97 to report annually to the Home Secretary on the state of the prison and its administration and include advice and suggestions as it considers appropriate.
The majority of boards do not publish their annual reports, although they are advised by the Secretariat that Ministers are keen for them to do so. Approximately one-third of boards have indicated an intention to publish their reports for 1997. The release of the report is solely at the wish of the board.
The Government are currently evaluating responses to their consultation paper Opening up Quangos, which proposes, inter alia, that all advisory and executive Non Departmental Public Bodies should produce and make publicly available an annual report.
If appropriate, the Government will therefore consider with boards of visitors how these proposals might be introduced for all boards.