At 12.35PM, Jeremy Corbyn raised a question urging the Prime Minister to meet with representatives of the hunger strikers, to resolve the situation as their health seriously deteriorates.
Starmer failed to provide an adequate response, whilst Zarah Sultana MP remains outside HMP Bronzefield for nearly 12 hours to demand an ambulance for Qesser Zuhrah, on Day 46 of her hunger strike, who is in critical condition.
Jeremy Corbyn MP said: “Yesterday the minister of state for Justice declined a meeting with the representatives of a number of hunger strikers in prison at the present time. These are all remand prisoners. They’re not convicted of anything.
Since then a further prisoner has been taken to hospital as have others. Many people are very concerned about the regular breaches of prison conditions and prison rules in respect of these hunger strikers.
Will he make arrangements for the Ministry of Justice to meet representatives of the hunger strikers to discuss these breaches of the conditions that they’re experiencing at the present time?”
Keir Starmer responds by saying “He will appreciate there are rules and procedures in place in relation to hunger strikes and we’re following those rules and procedures.”
A spokesperson for Prisoners for Palestine said:
“The policy on hunger strikers stipulates that those in the best position to address and resolve the demands of prisoners refusing food, must do so. However there has been zero contact with the hunger strikers or their representatives to resolve this strike.
The prime minister is lying, and there are lives on the line. We are demanding, as a matter of life and death, that the government urgently meets to resolve the strike. Whilst they fail to do so, the government are breaching their own rules, and are letting unconvicted prisoners die.”