Oral question asked in the House of Commons, by David Leslie Taylor (Labour). It was answered on Tuesday, 15 July 2008 on behalf of the Ministry of Justice.

Private Sector Prisons

Question: One of our nation's 11 private finance initiative prisons is Global Solutions Ltd. Rye Hill in the east midlands, whose safety regime allowed Wayne Reid to be stabbed to death in his cell by three fellow inmates in 2005. How is the Minister tackling such unsafe and unstable establishments, floundering in perverse frameworks that impose 50 penalty points for weapon discovery—ensuring cursory searches—but a single point for self-harm or suicide, thus inverting normal, rational public service values? Aren't private prisons getting away with murder?

Answer: I thank my hon. Friend for raising the issue. Wayne Reid did indeed die in his cell at HMP Rye Hill in April 2005 and two individuals were subsequently convicted of his murder. I regret the fact that Wayne died in those circumstances and I await a letter from the coroner who recently completed the inquest into the death. I expect the coroner to forward a letter outlining some issues for the Government to examine in detail. Together with the Under-Secretary of State for Justice, my hon. Friend the Member for Liverpool, Garston (Maria Eagle), I have taken a keen interest in the performance of GSL in Rye Hill over the past 12 months. We will continue to look at the performance of Rye Hill and GSL and see what lessons can be learned from the coroner's verdict on Wayne Reid's tragic and possibly avoidable death.

Secondary information