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Football Matches
Sir Teddy Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will assess the financial problems for association football clubs arising from the costs imposed by police services in respect of the attendance of police officers at games; and if he will make a statement. [20872]
Mr. Maclean [holding answer 18 March 1996]: The taxpayer already foots the bill for policing outside football grounds as part of the duty of the police to keep the peace and prevent crime. It is right for those who benefit--the club and the supporters attending the match--to pay for police services inside grounds.
Featherstone Prison (Drug Parties)
Mr. Hawksley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will hold an inquiry into the making of a video showing drug parties in Featherstone prison, near Wolverhampton; and if he will make a statement. [21681]
Miss Widdecombe: Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the temporary Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter from Richard Tilt to Mr. Warren Hawksley, dated 19 March 1996:
The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about a video purporting to show a drugs party in Featherstone.
The governor of Featherstone will conduct a full investigation into the circumstances surrounding this incident once a copy of the video has been received. Any action to be taken will depend on the conclusions of the investigations now taking place.
Fine Defaulters
Mrs. Anne Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the average weekly cost of keeping a fine defaulter in prison. [21115]
19 Mar 1996 : Column: 156
Miss Widdecombe: Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the temporary Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter from A. J. Pearson to Mrs. Anne Campbell, dated 19 March 1996:
Mrs. Campbell:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people are currently held in prison on convictions relating to fine defaults. [21113]
The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your recent Question about the average weekly cost of keeping a fine defaulter in prison.
Information on the cost of prisoners according to their type of offence is not collected centrally. The average weekly net operating cost of a prison place in 1994-95 was £458.
Miss Widdecombe: Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the temporary Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter from A. J. Pearson to Mrs. Anne Campbell, dated 19 March 1996:
The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your recent Question asking, how many people are currently held in prison on convictions relating to fine defaults.
The latest available information is for 31 January 1996. On that date there were 358 persons in Prison Service establishments in England and Wales for non-payment of a fine.
Doncaster Prison
Mr. Redmond: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if prisoners from Doncaster prison are eligible for unaccompanied visits to (a) Doncaster and (b) surrounding towns after good behaviour; and if he will make a statement; [21005]
- (2) what provision is available in Doncaster prison for (a) therapeutic and (b) psychological treatment when inmates receive positive results to tests for transmissible diseases; and if he will make a statement; [20991]
(3) what regular medical checks prisoners in Doncaster prison receive; what systematic checks are carried out for transmissible diseases; and if he will make a statement;[20999]
(4) what steps are taken to prevent discrimination against prisoners in Doncaster prison with specific health problems; and if he will make a statement; [20993]
(5) what percentage of the annual budget for Doncaster prison is designated for health care; and if he will make a statement; [21002]
(6) how many (a) nurses and (b) doctors are employed in Doncaster prison; and if he will make a statement; [20992]
(7) what mechanisms exist in Doncaster prison relating to the prevention of (a) transmissible or (b) contagious diseases (i) in general and (ii) in respect of specific outbreaks; and if he will make a statement; [21001]
(8) how many prisoners in Doncaster prison are currently recorded as being terminally ill; if he will list the illnesses diagnosed; and if he will make a statement; [20990]
19 Mar 1996 : Column: 157
(9) what provisions are made for those prisoners in Doncaster prison known to be terminally ill; and if he will make a statement; [20994]
(10) what steps are taken to ensure the confidentiality checks on prisoners in Doncaster prison, with particular reference to cases involving transmissible diseases; and if he will make a statement; [20978]
(11) how many prisoners have died in Doncaster prison since it opened; and if he will list the figures where the cause of death was (a) self-inflicted, (b) accidental, (c) murder, (d) disease, (e) AIDS, (f) tuberculosis, (g) cancer and (h) vascular and heart disease. [21004]
Miss Widdecombe: Responsibility for these matters has been delegated to the temporary Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter from Richard Tilt to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 19 March 1996:
The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Questions about unaccompanied visits for prisoners and medical matters at Doncaster prison.
No prisoners from Doncaster are eligible for unaccompanied visits to Doncaster or any other towns in the area.
Four prisoners have died within Doncaster since the prison opened. Two inquests have been held, one of which recorded a verdict of death from natural causes and one a verdict of death by suicide. In addition, two have died in outside hospital, one from natural causes and one suicide. All prisoners are given a physical and mental health check on reception. Prisoners who are identified with pre-existing conditions receive reviews as clinically indicated. All are asked about their experience of transmissible diseases. If clinically indicated, and the prisoner agrees, they undergo the appropriate tests.
Medical confidentiality is of paramount importance at Doncaster and helps reduce the chance of discrimination against any prisoner on the grounds of health. All medical information on prisoners is kept within the Health Care Centre and is provided to nobody except authorized staff. With regard to transmissible diseases, health promotion posters and literature are displayed freely throughout the prison. Doncaster has also had a contagion control policy in preparation for the outbreak of any contagious disease. This policy allows a number of internal and external resources to be deployed in the event of specific outbreaks. The prison has registered mental nurses with counselling skills, as well as qualified counsellors and psychologists to assist prisoners who receive positive results having been tested for a transmissible disease.
There are currently no prisoners in Doncaster who are terminally ill. Should any prisoner be so diagnosed, an application can be made to the Area manager for release on compassionate grounds.
The contract for Doncaster prison specifies the health care requirements that the contractor is required to meet. Distinct services within the total operation are not broken down by price. The way these requirements are met and staffing details are matters for Premier Prison Service.
Prison Officers (Training)
Ms Lynne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the level of training received by prison officers at (a) Buckley Hall prison and (b) other male category C training prisons. [21054]
Miss Widdecombe: Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the temporary Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.
19 Mar 1996 : Column: 158
Letter from A. J. Pearson to Ms Liz Lynne, dated 19 March 1996:
The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your recent Question about the level of training received by prison officers at (a) Buckley Hall prison and (b) in other male category C training prisons.
The contract for Buckley Hall prison specifies the level of staff training, both basic and continuing, which the contractor is required to meet.
The detail of how these requirements are fulfilled is a matter for Group 4.
All new prison officers joining other category C establishments will have received nine weeks training in both theoretical and practical skills.
Prisoners (Threats to Witnesses)
Mr. Mike O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many occasions in the last five years prisoners have telephoned or written from Her Majesty's prisons to witnesses in such a way that charges of perverting the course of justice or other charges relating to attempts to interfere with witnesses in criminal cases have resulted. [20726]
Miss Widdecombe: Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the temporary Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given. Letter from Brian Landers to Mr. Mike O'Brien, dated 19 March 1996:
The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your recent Question about prisoners who may have telephoned or written to witnesses in such a way that charges of perverting the course of justice or other charges have resulted in criminal cases.
Unfortunately this information is not available.
Miss Widdecombe: Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the temporary Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given. Letter from Brian Landers to Mr. Mike O'Brien, dated 19 March 1996:
The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your recent Question about prisoners who have been disciplined in the last five years as a result of complaints of threats to witnesses in their case.
Unfortunately this information is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
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