HC Deb 01 March 2001 vol 363 c743W
Mr. Chope

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will publish the rules which operate within prisons with regard to smoking by(a) prisoners and (b) prison officers on duty; [151163]

(2) what arrangements are made to prevent prisoners from being exposed to tobacco smoke against their will. [151162]

Mr. Boateng

The policy on smoking in Prison Service premises is set out in "Instruction to Governors 16/1996", issued on 21 March 1996 (a copy of which can be found in the Library). It seeks to ensure that prisoners are not exposed to tobacco smoke against their will.

In particular, smoking is banned in all visits areas and governors are asked to consider bans in other communal areas and make arrangements to prevent smoking in consulting rooms in health care centres. There should also be provision for prisoners who smoke to smoke away from non-smoking prisoners within patient areas. So far as is reasonably practicable, non-smoking prisoners are not expected to share a cell with smokers.