Written question asked by Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Labour), in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 20 March 1997. It was answered by Lord Selkirk of Douglas (Conservative) on Thursday, 20 March 1997 on behalf of the Scottish Office.

Scottish Office;Scottish Prison Service

Question: What plans he has to set up a secure unit in a Scottish prison. - Text of letter from E W Frizzell of the Scottish Prison Service.

Answer: Mr. Foulkes: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to set up a secure unit in a Scottish prison; and if he will make a statement. [21037] Lord James Douglas Hamilton: The subject of the question related to matters undertaken by the Scottish Prison Service. I have asked its Chief Executive, Mr. W. E. Frizzell, to arrange for a reply to be given. Letter from E. W. Frizzell to Mr. George Foulkes, dated 20 March 1997: Lord James Douglas-Hamilton has asked me to reply to your question about whether there are plans to set up a secure unit in a Scottish prison. Prisoners in Scotland are held in conditions appropriate to their security classification and there are no plans to set up any "special" secure units of the kind which exist in some other prison jurisdictions. At present there are relatively few security Category A prisoners in Scotland. They are held in a number of different prisons including the small units at Peterhead and Shotts Prisons. The units were set up to manage those prisoners who need for a time to be located out of the mainstream but are suitable for use by Category A prisoners as necessary. Otherwise such prisoners are integrated within the secure prison system.

Secondary information