Lord Roberts of Llandudno – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Roberts of Llandudno on 2014-04-09.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Faulks on 7 April (WA 249), in the light of HM Prison The Verne being used to take immigration detainees exclusively and the number of persons held under Immigration Act powers within HM Prisons, what plans they have to extend Rule 35 to the prison estate by an amendment to the Prison Rules; and, if there are no such plans, how a prison doctor’s concerns that a prisoner may be a victim of torture may be made known to the Secretary of State for the Home Department.

Lord Faulks

Prison Rule 21 provides that a medical practitioner shall report to the governor on the case of any person whose health is likely to be injuriously affected by continued imprisonment or any conditions of imprisonment. The governor is required to send any such reports to the Secretary of State. Although Prison Rule 21 does not replicate Detention Centre Rule 35 it performs a similar function. We therefore have no plans to amend Prison Rules in this case.