Smoking ban consultation to consider prison exemption

Smoking is still being allowed in prison cells despite the ban affecting enclosed public places, the Welsh government has said.

Ministers have launched a consultation, external on an exemption to give governors power to permit smoking in designated cells.

Health Minister Mark Drakeford said prisoners and staff - whether smokers or not - needed to be protected from potential damage to their health.

Governors have warned that banning smoking could make jails more unstable.

The exemption would take effect in February 2016, and run until April 2017, when prisons are due to be completely smoke-free.

The consultation, which runs until November, will ask whether prisoners should be allowed a formal exemption from the smoking ban, in line with legislation covering jails in England.

"Moving to a completely smoke-free prison estate will improve the health of all inmates and staff," said Mr Drakeford.

"But it must be managed in a way that will not increase the risk to the operational security of Welsh prisons.

"The proposed regulations are one way in which we can support prisons to achieve that goal in a managed way."