To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to his answer of 17 November 1997, Official Report, column 76, if Jason Campbell's application for transfer made to the local management at Her Majesty's Prison Shotts on 10 September was notified to the Northern Ireland Office before it was sent to the Scottish Prison Service Headquarters on 25 September. [17459]
[holding answer 24 November 1997]: As a result of inquiries made to SPS officials, the Northern Ireland Prison Service was aware that an application had been made to local management at HM Prison Shotts but had not been sent to SPS Headquarters for consideration.
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to his answer of 17 November 1997, Official Report, column 76, (1) to what extent the priority accorded to the wider peace process in the transfer of Jason Campbell is consistent with the terms of the Home Office memorandum on inter-jurisdictional transfers dated 27 October; [17457](2) if the transfers of prisoners
(a) from Scotland to Northern Ireland and (b) from England to Northern Ireland complied with the terms of paragraph 5 of the Home Office memorandum on inter-jurisdictional transfers dated 27 October. [17458]
[holding answer 24 November 1997]: Jason Campbell's application for transfer was considered under section 27 of the Criminal Justice Act 1961, the legislation in force at the time. This was repealed by Schedule 6 of the Crime (Sentences) Act 1997, which came into force on 1 October. The policy statement to which the question refers relates to the procedures introduced by the Crime (Scotland) Act 1997. No prisoners have yet been transferred from Scotland to Northern Ireland under those procedures. Transfers from England to Northern Ireland are a matter for my right hon. Friends the Home Secretary and the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.