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HOWARD'S WAY.... a weekly column from Michael Howard MP

22 June 2006<IMG height=195 hspace=10 src="images/michaelhoward3.jpg" width=130 align=right vspace=10 border=0>

Law and order issues have dominated the headlines for several weeks. We have seen a series of revelations ranging from the failure to deport foreign prisoners whom the Courts have recommended for deportation to the escape of a large number of prisoners from open prisons – many of whom should never have been in open prisons in the first place.

The latest crisis relates to the pressure on prison places. “Prisons are full�, says the Chief Inspector of Prisons. And there is no doubt that this is very near the truth.

It should come as no surprise to anyone. It is no use Government Ministers telling judges off for passing lenient sentences if they fail to provide the prison places that are needed.

In my time as Home Secretary over 5,000 extra prison places were provided in new prisons.

At the 1997 General Election the Conservative Manifesto contained a promise to build 8,500 new prison places by 2000. In fact, over the same period Labour built only 1,724 places.

At the last General Election we promised to provide 20,000 new places. Under Labour very few have been provided.

This is all because Gordon Brown has refused to make the money available.

If you do not have the prison places that are needed, pressure grows on judges not to send people to prison and prisoners are denied the education and rehabilitation they need. It’s not rocket science.

A far cry from all this was Lydd Club Day, which Sandra and I attended last Saturday. On a glorious day an event which has hardly changed for decades (if not longer) gave great pleasure to all. Long may it continue!