asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what instructions his Department gives to ensure that the next-of-kin of prisoners in Her Majesty's prisons are informed when any such prisoner takes action, such as a hunger strike, which in the opinion of the prison medical service, is likely to endanger his life.

Paragraph 66 of section 14 of prison standing orders, a copy of which has been placed in the Library of the House, provides for the relatives or next-of-kin to be informed when a prisoner becomes seriously ill.