Business of the House Debate

Full Debate: Read Full Debate
Department: Leader of the House

Business of the House

Peter Bone Excerpts
1st reading: House of Commons
Thursday 13th October 2016

(8 years, 1 month ago)

Commons Chamber
Read Full debate Criminal Finances Act 2017 View all Criminal Finances Act 2017 Debates Read Hansard Text Read Debate Ministerial Extracts
David Lidington Portrait Mr Lidington
- Hansard - - - Excerpts

I know that the Home Office is looking at the legislation governing gun dealers, and that may go some way to address the hon. Gentleman’s concerns. It is right that we remind ourselves that police forces have an important responsibility to ensure that people who hold firearms licences legitimately store guns and ammunition in a secure and safe fashion, and that they are fit and responsible people to have such licences.

Peter Bone Portrait Mr Peter Bone (Wellingborough) (Con)
- Hansard - -

The Government have a policy of closing old Victorian prisons and replacing them with modern ones. Wellingborough prison, which is a reserve prison, is a modern one. May we have a statement next week from the Secretary of State for Justice on how that policy is working and, in particular, on what is happening to Wellingborough prison?

David Lidington Portrait Mr Lidington
- Hansard - - - Excerpts

My hon. Friend will want to talk with the Prisons Minister about Wellingborough prison, but I am sure that the policy is the right one for our right hon. Friend the Secretary of State to be pursuing. Not only are more modern prisons more cost-effective than maintaining prisons on what has become very valuable inner-city real estate, but they provide conditions for prisoners that are more secure and humane than those in the old-fashioned, Victorian prisons, which in some cases have lasted for far too long.