Styal Prison: Fire Hazards

Ministry of Justice written question – answered at on 16 September 2021.

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Photo of Lyn Brown Lyn Brown Shadow Minister (Justice)

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the Annual Report of the Independent Monitoring Board at HMP/YOI Styal 2021, how many women and girls at HMP/YOI Styal are held in one of the 16 house blocks that have been classified as a red fire risk.

Photo of Lyn Brown Lyn Brown Shadow Minister (Justice)

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the Annual Report of the Independent Monitoring Board at HMP/YOI Styal 2021, published on 8 September 2021, what steps he is taking to protect prisoners and staff at HMP/YOI Styal from serious fire risks.

Photo of Lucy Frazer Lucy Frazer The Minister of State, Ministry of Justice, The Financial Secretary to the Treasury

The house blocks are currently considered safe for occupation and there are approximately 300 prisoners held there. Survey work carried out in March, however, identified fire risk issues. As a result of this the national fire safety team produced an action plan which set out measures to be taken to mitigate these risks. Action has been taken to prevent the spread of fire such as fire stopping works. To mitigate the impact of any potential fires all fire doors are regularly tested, and smoke detectors have been installed. The effectiveness of escape routes has also been confirmed and staff and prisoners are aware of appropriate actions in the event of a fire.

In order to obtain a more thorough picture of the risks involved an invasive survey is due to be undertaken shortly to identify the composition of the walls. This will enable identification of what, if any, structural building work is required.

The Ministry of Justice is currently preparing a response to the Independent Monitoring Board’s Annual Report on HMP Styal and will reply in due course.

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