A visiting committee is appointed to each prison under the Prisons (Visiting Committees) Act, 1925, and Prisons (Visiting Committees) Order, 1925. There are currently 16 such committees. I am satisfied with the composition of the visiting committees. There are no specific criteria used in selecting individuals for appointment. The composition of each committee is drawn from as wide a spectrum as possible to ensure that the needs of prisoners are understood and met. This is the long standing practice used by successive Ministers in appointing members to the prisons visiting committees. The function of visiting committees is to visit at frequent intervals the prison to which they are appointed and hear any complaints which may be made to them by any prisoner. They report to me any abuses observed or found by them in the prison and any repairs which they think may be urgently needed. The visiting committee have free access either collectively or individually to every part of their prison. In inspecting prisons, the visiting committees focus on issues such as the quality of accommodation and the catering, medical, educational and welfare services and recreational facilities. The committees also submit annual reports to me which are subsequently published.
A table of all the visiting committees setting out the county in which the individual member resides follows for the Deputy's information.