News just in from our court correspondent…

Paul Staines, AKA Guido Fawkes will be taking an enforced break from blogging of, maybe 4-6 weeks depending on prison overcrowding, after being sentenced to 3 months imprisonment for a second drink driving offence in the four years.

False Alarm, folks – it’s a 3 month curfew order. My bad, misinterpreted jokey reference to 3 months ‘hard bending’ as reference to a stint inside.

Elsewhere, our Parliamentary correspondent has this report from the House of Commons:

Mr. Simon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what his Department’s policy is on blogging by prisoners.

Maria Eagle: There is no policy on prisoners contributing to blogs. Prisoners do not have direct access to the internet, other than under controlled circumstances or for specific educational purposes, which is via controlled connectivity to secure NOMS accredited sites. NOMS policy on prisoner communications does, however, set out restrictions on material that prisoners may send if it is intended for publication.

And finally…

Responding to the question ‘Where’s the soap?’ Mr Staines ruefully replied.

“I expect it does but you really can’t go without some sort of lubricant’