Written Answers to Questions - Northern Ireland Assembly

Friday 20 July 2012 Written Answers
Transporting Defendants to Court
Lord Morrow asked the Minister of Justice, pursuant to AQW12956/11-15, whether the four prisoners
were produced to the court in error on the day in question, given that no applications or amendments
had been sought, and that no bail issues or arrangements needed to be considered; and who made the
requests to the Northern Ireland Prison Service for the production of the prisoners.
(AQW 13549/11-15)
Mr Ford: None of the prisoners were produced to the Court in error. As I stated in my answer to
AQW/12956/11-15, the decision to have a defendant produced in court is a judicial decision.
Judicial decisions on prisoner production are communicated to the Northern Ireland Prison Service by
the Northern Ireland Courts and Tribunals Service.
Commitment on Full Body Scanners
Mr P Ramsey asked the Minister of Justice whether he can give an undertaking that, should separated
prisoners be relocated to Mourne House, the commitment given on full body scanners will be upheld in
the facility.
(AQW 13561/11-15)
Mr Ford: As I have stated in the House on a number of occasions, new search technologies are to be
piloted to assess their suitability for use in relation to all prisoners in all establishments, in keeping
with the Prison Review Team’s recommendation and are not related to specific groups of prisoners.
Pilot for Full-Body Scanners in Prisons
Mr P Ramsey asked the Minister of Justice for an update on the pilot for full body scanners in
Magilligan and Hydebank Wood.
(AQW 13562/11-15)
Mr Ford: Formal written quotations have now been received from two suppliers for the leasing of
Millimetre Wave Body Scanners for three month pilot schemes at Magilligan Prison and Hydebank Wood
YOC. Purchase orders will be placed as soon as the business case has been approved but one of the
suppliers has advised that there will be an eight week delivery time from the date the purchase order
is received. A number of final queries have yet to be resolved with the other supplier, including operator
training costs and equipment insurance requirements. It is planned that these outstanding matters will
be resolved during a visit to the supplier on 24 July.
Prison Service officials are continuing to work through a number of practical arrangements including
site surveys in conjunction with the suppliers, staff training requirements, legal advice and information
to prisoners. Consideration is also being given to the timing of the commencement of the respective
pilots given the delivery timescale from one of the suppliers.
Full-Body Imaging Scanners in Prisons
Mr P Ramsey asked the Minister of Justice to outline the timescale for (i) the procurement of full body
imaging equipment; (ii) the installation of the equipment; (iii) staff training on the use of the equipment;
(vi) any other work to make the imaging scanners operational in the planned pilot scheme.
(AQW 13563/11-15)
Mr Ford: My answer to AQW/13562 provides an update on the pilot schemes for Millimetre Wave Body
Scanners at Magilligan Prison and Hydebank Wood YOC.
There are also plans to pilot the use of Transmission X-ray Scanners at Magilligan Prison as soon
as the necessary approval has been obtained under the Justification of Practices Involving Ionising
Radiation Regulations 2004.
WA 598