asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if, in the light of the transcript of the coroner's inquest into the death of Jim Heather-Hayes last July at Ashford remand centre, he will now make a statement about its implications for prison procedures and in particular about the adequacy of procedures for monitoring suicide risks; and whether he proposes to make any changes in the light of this case.

We are consulting Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons about the possibility of his examining the adequacy of procedures in this field and we hope to make a statement soon.