Prisoner Transfers

The Hon. S.G. WADE (14:55): Supplementary question: in relation to the transport of prisoners, my question was exclusively in relation to prisoners being transported from a prison and returned to the same prison, so I am not talking about, shall we say, routine interprison movements. Can the minister assure the house that people are not being transported from a prison and returned to the same prison primarily to deal with overcrowding?

The Hon. P. MALINAUSKAS (Minister for Police, Minister for Correctional Services, Minister for Emergency Services, Minister for Road Safety) (14:56): I can confirm that I have sought advice from the Department for Correctional Services regarding that exact question as a result of an inquiry that had been made previously and I have been advised by the Department for Correctional Services that that practice does not occur.