CITY WATCHHOUSE

The Hon. S.G. WADE (14:54): As a supplementary question, in her answer, the minister said that the prisoner referred to in Judge Shaw's case was imprisoned for 2½ weeks. That is greater than the 15 days mentioned—

The PRESIDENT: Order! The honourable member must ask a question.

The Hon. S.G. WADE: Was the prisoner held beyond the policy time, the time stipulated in the department's own policy, and does that policy apply to both sentence and remand?

The Hon. CARMEL ZOLLO (Minister for Emergency Services, Minister for Correctional Services, Minister for Road Safety, Minister Assisting the Minister for Multicultural Affairs) (14:54): Those people in the City Watchhouse would, of course, be remandees. In relation to policy as such, certainly we try to keep the time that anyone stays in the Watchhouse to an absolute minimum. In this case, as I have tried to explain, the person concerned—

An honourable member interjecting:

The Hon. CARMEL ZOLLO: I said it can be more than a week. The person concerned is a protectee, which meant that he was awaiting a place elsewhere. It is a big challenge when we have offenders and prisoners who are protectees.