§ Mr. McNamaraTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what date a review of strip search procedures was undertaken; if the report was completed; when he will publish and respond to its recommendations; if he will make a statement concerning the management of this review indicating how many staff were allocated to its completion and at what level supervision was undertaken; what consultation took place with non-Governmental organisations; and how many communications he has received on the issue. [111948]
§ Mr. BoatengI am pleased to announce that I received the Prison Service's report on searches of the person last week. Copies have been placed in the Library and are available on the Prison Service website at www.hmprisonservice.gov.uk.
The report makes 16 recommendations, all of which have been accepted by the Prison Service.
The review was co-ordinated by one senior executive officer in the Prison Service's security group who consulted and involved many staff of a variety of grades both in the Prison Service headquarters and in prison establishments. As this was an internal review, non-governmental organisations were not consulted, but publications on the subject by several such organisations were taken into account.
Five Parliamentary Questions have been received from my hon. Friend, and one from hon. Friend the Member for Birmingham, Selly Oak (Dr. Jones). In addition, a letter was received from my hon. Friend the Member for Birmingham, Selly Oak.
The emerging findings were then subjected to rigorous competitive analysis by other staff across the Service, including senior managers. This process has taken a long time, and other priority tasks prevented the earlier completion of the report. But I am satisfied that the Prison Service took the completion of this report very seriously.