Dear HM Prison Service,

Please consider these questions as related to the FoI Act 2000.

There is an email going around the UK which suggests the following 'special treatment' of Muslim prisoners in UK jails. If I may quote.
"Muslim prisoners in Britain are being given fresh clothes and bedding after sniffer dogs search their cells.
Q1. Is that allegation correct and if so, how much has this cost the UK taxpayer in each of the last two years ending 31 Dec 2011?
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"The inmates say their bedclothes and prison uniforms must be changed according to Islamic law if they have come anywhere near dog saliva. Government rules mean prison wardens must hand out replacement sets after random drug searches to avoid religious discrimination claims."
Q2. Is the allegation regarding bedclothes and prison uniforms in the context above true? If it is true how much has this cost the UK taxpayer in each of the last two years up to the 31 Dec 2011?
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"The dogs have also been banned from touching copies of the Islamic holy book the Koran and other religious items. Prisoners are handed special bags to protect the articles."
Q3. Is the allegation in Q3 true? How many times in the last two years has that procedure been activated?
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Q4. Can you direct me to the Rules and Regulations that cover Muslim prisoners; if their rules and special handling procedures are incorporated into one source document, then that document shall be acceptable to me in a PDF format.
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Thank you for your time and I hope to hear from you in due course.

Yours faithfully,

Captain Bryn Wayt

Dear Jassal, Shila [NOMS],

Thank you for replying, but not for taking 22 days to do so - as an acknowledgment. That is longer than the official response should take!

I will look forward hearing from you further.

Yours sincerely,

Captain Bryn Wayt

Dear Jassal, Shila [NOMS],

Thank you for the explanation - would it not be a fair opening to apologise to the 'customer' for the delay in anybody responding?

Yours sincerely,

Captain Bryn Wayt

Dear Jassal, Shila [NOMS],

Thank you very much for your reply/response to my FoI questions.

I now realise that I asked too much of the service and it would cost a lot of money/time to satisfy my requirements, so I shall accept what you have kindly supplied and the extra effort you made to explain the situation.

I will not trouble you further; but thank you once again for your kind efforts on my behalf.

Yours sincerely,

Captain Bryn Wayt