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Visits To Prisoners By Journalists

EDM number 113 in 1991-92, proposed by Allan Rogers on 07/11/1991.

That this House deplores the provision in prison standing orders which prohibits visits to prisoners by journalists acting in their professional capacity, other than in exceptional circumstances; considers that this is an unreasonable restriction on the right of prisoners and journalists to draw public attention to alleged miscarriages of justice and defects in the operation of the criminal justice and penal systems; notes that the prohibition is ineffective in preventing journalists who are not known to prison staff from visiting prisoners and effectively prohibits only well-known journalists; considers that the regulation is illogical as prisoners may correspond with journalists about their cases; and calls on Her Majesty's Government to amend prison orders to provide that journalists may visit prisoners provided that (a) this forms part of the prisoner's normal allocation of visits and (b) the journalist has not abused visiting arrangements in the past, serious journalism relating to alleged wrongful convictions or aspects of the treatment of offenders not being an abuse.

This motion has been signed by a total of 49 MPs, 1 of these signatures have been withdrawn.

MPDateConstituencyPartyType
Allan Rogers07/11/1991RhonddaProposed
Dawn Primarolo07/11/1991Bristol SouthSigned
James Wray07/11/1991Glasgow ProvanSigned
Joan Walley07/11/1991Stoke-on-Trent NorthSigned
Peter Bottomley07/11/1991ElthamSigned
Win Griffiths07/11/1991BridgendSigned
George Foulkes07/11/1991Carrick, Cumnock and Doon ValleySigned
Paul Flynn07/11/1991Newport WestSigned
Alexander Eadie07/11/1991MidlothianSigned
Robin Corbett07/11/1991Birmingham, ErdingtonSigned
Menzies Campbell07/11/1991Fife North EastSigned
Keith Bradley07/11/1991Manchester, WithingtonSigned
Roland Boyes07/11/1991Houghton and WashingtonSigned
Chris Mullin07/11/1991Sunderland SouthSigned
Alan Meale07/11/1991MansfieldSigned
John McAllion07/11/1991Dundee EastSigned
Eric Martlew07/11/1991CarlisleSigned
Jim Marshall07/11/1991Leicester SouthSigned
Alice Mahon07/11/1991HalifaxSigned
Geoffrey Lofthouse07/11/1991Pontefract & CastlefordSigned
Doug Hoyle07/11/1991Warrington NorthSigned
David Hinchliffe07/11/1991WakefieldSigned
Clare Short07/11/1991Birmingham, LadywoodSigned
Alan Williams08/11/1991Swansea WestSigned
Joan Lestor11/11/1991EcclesSigned
Alan Wynne Williams11/11/1991CarmarthenSigned
Jimmy Dunnachie11/11/1991Glasgow, PollokSigned
Norman Godman11/11/1991Greenock and Port GlasgowSigned
Jim Wallace12/11/1991Orkney & ShetlandSigned
Dennis Turner12/11/1991Wolverhampton South EastSigned
John Battle12/11/1991Leeds WestSigned
Lawrence Cunliffe12/11/1991LeighSigned
Frank Cook12/11/1991Stockton NorthSigned
Ronnie Campbell12/11/1991Blyth ValleySigned
William McKelvey12/11/1991Kilmarnock & LoudounSigned
Ian McCartney12/11/1991MakerfieldSigned
Chris Smith12/11/1991Islington South & FinsburySigned
Ernie Ross12/11/1991Dundee WestSigned
Eric Illsley13/11/1991Barnsley CentralSigned
Eddie Loyden13/11/1991Liverpool, GarstonSigned
John Cummings13/11/1991EasingtonSigned
Jack Thompson13/11/1991WansbeckSigned
Eddie McGrady14/11/1991South DownSigned
John Evans14/11/1991St Helens NorthSigned
Russell Johnston18/11/1991Inverness, Nairn and LochaberSigned
David Clelland21/11/1991Tyne BridgeSigned
Teddy Taylor21/11/1991Southend EastSigned
Audrey Wise17/02/1992PrestonSigned
Harry BarnesUnknownWithdrawn

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