To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the inquiry into the serious disturbances at Her Majesty's prison, Manchester and other establishments.
I understand that Lord Justice Woolf envisages the inquiry falling into two parts. The first part of the inquiry will examine the facts of the disturbances and evidence will be taken in public. The second part of the inquiry will involve consideration of the wider issues which may, in Lord Justice Woolf's view, underlie the recent serious prison disturbances. Lord Justice Woolf considers that it would be helpful if he was assisted in this second part of the inquiry by Her Majesty's chief inspector of prisons, Judge Tumin, with his wide experience and independent view of prison matters. On the advice of Lord Justice Woolf and after consultation with Her Majesty's chief inspector of prisons, I have therefore decided that once the first part of Lord Justice Woolfs inquiry has been completed Judge Tumin should join with him in the second part of the inquiry.