My honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Justice (Claire Ward) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.

I have today laid before Parliament the report of the inquiry that the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Justice (Shahid Malik) announced on 23 February 2009 into the death of Bernard Lodge, who died at HMP Manchester on 28 August 1998.

I should like to thank the chair of the inquiry, Barbara Stow, and the solicitor to the inquiry for the way in which they handled the inquiry and for fulfilling the terms of reference so efficiently.