Prisons (Property) Bill — Clause 1 — Power to Destroy or Otherwise Dispose of Unauthorised Property or Unattributable Property — 30 Nov 2012 at 11:30

The majority of MPs voted to empower a governor or director of a prison to destroy or otherwise dispose of unauthorised or unattributable articles found in any location a prisoner attends while in custody, rather than just articles found in a prison or prison transport.

The amendment rejected by the majority of MPs in this vote was:

• Amendment 2, page 1, line 9, leave out ‘,’ and insert ‘or any other location that the prisoner attends while in custody,’.

The provision which would have been affected by the rejected amendment stated:

• Disposal of unauthorised or unattributable property
• (1) The governor or director of a prison may destroy or otherwise dispose of, or arrange for the destruction or other disposal of—
• (a) an article found in the possession of a prisoner who is not authorised to have it in his or her possession, or
• (b) an article found inside the prison or in a prisoner escort vehicle, otherwise than in the possession of a prisoner, where—
• (i) the owner of the article is a prisoner who is not authorised to have it in his or her possession, or
• (ii) the owner of the article cannot be ascertained.

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• [1] Parliament's webpage on the Prisons (Property) Bill (now an Act)

Debate in Parliament | Source |