THATCHER, Margaret.

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Typed letter signed. A substantial typed letter signed, on the two great Thatcherite topics of privatization and law and order, sent by Margaret Thatcher to the Conservative peer David Hennessy, 3rd Baron Windlesham (1932-2010).Windlesham wrote to Thatcher on 23 July 1987 following an article he had contributed to The Times on the subject of creating new private sector remand centres, distinct from the prison service while still supervised by the Home Office. Thatcher tells Windlesham that "both Douglas Hurd and I were very interested in your article in The Times and we were grateful for your kind words about our willingness to consider new and radical options". She expresses her agreement that the private sector needs to be exploited, and writes that the American system, where the private sector is much more prominent in the prison system, is being carefully examined.However, she diplomatically rejects Windlesham's suggestions, as there are "legal problems, and problems to do with accountability, that have not yet been fully explored", and reiterates Douglas Hurd's position "that he did not believe there was a case for handing over the business of keeping prisoners safe to anyone other than Government servants". She further rejects privatizing the prisoner escort system, although she is open to supplementary private-sector prisoner escorts. She politely finishes "we are however grateful to you for putting the arguments for greater private sector involvement in prison affairs

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