§ Mr. BeithTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many occasions he and other Ministers in his Department have met the governor and senior management responsible for Her Majesty's Young Offenders Institution Feltham since May 1997; and if he will make a statement. [90580]
§ Mr. George HowarthMinisters have visited Feltham Young Offender Institution on three occasions since May 1997 when they would have met the governor and staff. I visited Feltham in July 1997 and my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary visited on 13 February 1998. My hon. Friend, the Member for Cardiff South and Penarth (Mr. Michael), in his capacity as Minister of State, Home Office, visited Feltham on 6 April 1998.
In addition, I met the governor on 26 May 1999 and the Minister for prisons and probation, Lord Williams, met the governor on 23 June 1999. Lord Williams has had meetings with the area manager on six occasions since February and the Home Secretary has met the area manager twice. Central records of attendance at office meetings are not available prior to this year.
These meetings were in addition to the regular meetings my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary and the Minister with responsibility for prisons, my right hon. and noble Friend Lord Williams and until July 1998, my right hon. Friend the Member for Gateshead, East and Washington, West (Ms Quin), held with the Director General.