To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether correspondence between hon. and right hon. Members and inmates is routinely opened by HM Prison staff before it reaches recipients; and if he will make a statement. (141263)

I have been asked to reply.

Correspondence between Members of Parliament (acting in their constituency capacity) and prisoners is not routinely opened by prison staff. Under confidential access arrangements operated by the Prison Service such letters are not opened, read or stopped unless there are exceptional reasons for doing so.