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I found out about this at work yesterday, but am posting it now because I had to look it up on Hansard. One of the most common calls we get is about potential visitors being unable to book visits at certain prisons. These are the standard, legally-allowed visits, and have to be pre-booked for security. Quite often, someone is allocated to take booking calls, and they can be taken off the phones to do other things - whatever - meaning that the phone goes unanswered for hours, days sometimes. As a result, no booking normally means no visits, and quite a lot of mobile phone airtime used.

So, while I've been away, written representation on the worst 'offenders' has gone up as far as the Secretary of State for Justice... and during October, written questions were submitted on behalf of the Prisoners Families Helpline, by MP Chris Mullin. The answers can be seen here, and I've copied them here for posterity. The new procedure referred to (below) is PSO4410, which says, amongst many other things, "...where a booked visits scheme is in operation an efficient system(s) should be made available for this purpose, ensuring that telephone calls are answered promptly and the booking is administered in good time."

So, while stopping short of nationwide change, it's a very positive start. To answer my own question - combined with what I saw last week, I'd say unquestionably so.

Prisons: Visits

Mr. Mullin: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps the National Offender Management Service has taken in response to representations from the Prisoners’ Families Helpline as regards visit booking arrangements at HMPs Risley, Wandsworth and New Hall. [159143]

Mr. Hanson: New Hall has undertaken a thorough review of its systems following representations from the Prisoners’ Family Helpline. Booking hours have been extended and no subsequent complaints have been received since implementation on 27 September 2007.

At Wandsworth solutions are being sought to speed up the booking process and, since 2006, both remand and convicted prisoners are able to book their own visits internally. It is also open to all visitors to book their next visit before they leave Wandsworth.

Risley has taken measures to improve and speed up its system and introduced a second booking line, and a further member of staff to double their capacity for taking calls.

Mr. Mullin: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) if he will commission a report from the National Offender Management Service on the steps it is taking to provide an effective booking system for prison visits; [159146]

(2) if he will require the National Offender Management Service to set minimum standards for the prison visit bookings system; and if he will make a statement; [159147]

(3) what information the National Offender Management Service collects on the efficacy of the visit booking arrangements at individual prisons. [159148]

Mr. Hanson: There are no plans to commission a report from the Prison Service, which holds policy responsibility for these matters on behalf of NOMS. The Prison Service is aware of the difficulties many visitors experience when trying to book visits. The procedures and resources for booking visits are at the discretion of governors and directors in each prison, although they are required to have an efficient system in place.

The Prison Service has been pursuing improvements to visits booking and alternative options are currently being explored. In 2006, guidelines were sent to all establishments setting out practical ways of improving of visits booking, and an IT package has been made available to streamline the process. Prisons also have facilities to enable booking by e-mail to ease pressure on the telephone booking lines.

In September 2007 the Prison Service published a revised policy about visits, which introduced a mandatory requirement for all governors and directors to ensure that any system for visits booking is efficient. In future this will be monitored through the relevant performance standard on visits.

Information about the effectiveness of visits booking at each establishment is not collected centrally; although information about good practice at particular prisons has been disseminated as guidance to the whole estate.