About 40 prisoners have been moved out of Wandsworth prison after the escape of terror suspect Daniel Khalife.
Justice Secretary Alex Chalk told Sky News’ Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips that inmates were moved “out of an abundance of caution”.
Khalife, 21, was arrested on Saturday after 75 hours on the run.
Politics Live: Justice secretary faces questions on Sky News after prison break
The breakout has raised questions about alleged understaffing and overcrowding at HMP Wandsworth, and why Khalife was being held at the less secure Category B facility when most terror suspects are held in HMP Belmarsh, a Category A prison.
Mr Chalk was not able to provide a figure when asked repeatedly how many terror suspects are in Category B prisons rather than Category A.
He said: “What I can say in respect of Wandsworth… I wanted to ensure out of an abundance of caution that every resource is put into that prison and security is preserved, some prisoners there on remand have been moved.”
Adam Boulton: The revolving door of education secretaries has created an environment as stable as crumbling concrete
Labour warned not to become ‘1990s tribute act’ to Tony Blair by union chief
PM confronts China’s premier after arrest of parliament ‘spy’
He said the transfers happened this week, adding: “Additional resources have gone into Wandsworth, out of an abundance of caution around 40 prisoners have been moved.”
The government has launched a number of reviews into Khalife’s escape, including one looking at the “placement and categorisation” of all inmates in Wandsworth and another investigating all people behind bars currently charged with terror offences.
These will run alongside an independent investigation to establish how Khalife was able to escape.
The 21-year-old remains in police custody after he was dramatically arrested on Saturday in the north-west London suburb of Northolt after four days on the run.
Detectives believe the former soldier made his getaway by strapping himself to the bottom of a delivery lorry after leaving the prison kitchen in a cook’s uniform.
Mr Chalk, discussing the preliminary findings of one of the reviews he has issued, said the investigation has looked into whether protocols were in place relating to the unloading of food from a van and searching the delivery vehicle.
He said the protocols were in place but “plainly what we’ve yet to establish is whether those protocols were followed”.
He said he will set out “next week” the terms of reference of the separate independent investigation to ensure that the conclusions are “rock solid”.
The government is facing criticism over cuts to the prison system with critics saying the escape reflects a wider mismanagement of the criminal justice system.
Former Tory MP and prisons minister Rory Stewart said is “completely mad” how ministers are moved into roles in government with no knowledge at all.
“You could not run a fish and chip shop in the way in which the British government is run – it’s insane,” he told Trevor Phillips.
