HC Deb 29 March 2004 vol 419 cc1287-8W
Ms Buck

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what expenditure has been incurred by the Home Office to date on payment to solicitors representing claimants alleging prison officer abuse at Wormwood Scrubs between November 1992 to October 2001. [162634]

Paul Goggins

As of 18 March 2004, £579,243 has been paid to solicitors representing prisoners who allege to have been abused by prison officers at Wormwood Scrubs.

Ms Buck

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many inquiries have been conducted since November 1992 into allegations of prison officer abuse at Wormwood Scrubs; and how many inquiries are under way. [162663]

Paul Goggins

Records prior to 1999 are not sufficiently detailed to show how many inquiries into individual allegations of abuse were conducted. Since then, 30 internal inquiries have been conducted into individual allegations of prison officer abuse. The police conducted two major investigations between 1998 and July 2003, into more than 100 allegations of abuse. All of these inquiries have been concluded.