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| Prison smoking ban to begin in 2016 | Prison smoking ban to begin in 2016 |
| (34 minutes later) | |
| Smoking will be banned in all prisons in Wales and four in south-west England from next year, the government has said. | Smoking will be banned in all prisons in Wales and four in south-west England from next year, the government has said. |
| It is the first stage of a plan to make all jails in England and Wales smoke-free. | It is the first stage of a plan to make all jails in England and Wales smoke-free. |
| And from next month, smoking will be barred in the interior of all "open" prisons in England and Wales. | And from next month, smoking will be barred in the interior of all "open" prisons in England and Wales. |
| Earlier this year, the Prison Governors Association said a smoking ban risked making jails more unstable. | Earlier this year, the Prison Governors Association said a smoking ban risked making jails more unstable. |
| Its new president, Andrea Albutt, said tobacco could become an illicit currency. | Its new president, Andrea Albutt, said tobacco could become an illicit currency. |
| 'Difficult thing' | |
| A smoke-free policy will be implemented in all prisons in Wales - Cardiff, Parc, Swansea and Usk/Prescoed - from January 2016, and at four English prisons - Exeter, Channings Wood, Dartmoor and Erlestoke - from March 2016. | A smoke-free policy will be implemented in all prisons in Wales - Cardiff, Parc, Swansea and Usk/Prescoed - from January 2016, and at four English prisons - Exeter, Channings Wood, Dartmoor and Erlestoke - from March 2016. |
| Home affairs correspondent Danny Shaw said the government was taking a phased approach to the smoking ban because ministers had to balance implementing health laws with the risk of creating instability. | |
| Prisoners do not have that much to do, he added, and banning smoking in some prisons could mean inmates may lobby or make trouble to get to a prison where they could smoke. | |
| Prisons Minister Andrew Selous said implementing smoke-free prisons was a "difficult thing to do" given the high prevalence of smoking and the "unique environment" of prisons, but the ban was necessary because of the UK's smoking legislation and health reasons. | |
| "We have no plans to move to smoke-free prisons overnight and will only do so in a phased way that takes into account operational resilience and readiness of each prison," he said. | |
| "The operational safety and security of our prisons will always be our top priority." | |
| The government eventually intends to ban smoking in all 136 prisons in England and Wales to reduce health risks - it is currently allowed only in prison cells and exercise yards. | The government eventually intends to ban smoking in all 136 prisons in England and Wales to reduce health risks - it is currently allowed only in prison cells and exercise yards. |
| The move follows a series of legal challenges by prison officers and inmates who have complained about the effects of passive smoking. | The move follows a series of legal challenges by prison officers and inmates who have complained about the effects of passive smoking. |