Prisoners

HC Deb 17 May 1984 vol 60 cc495-6

5. Mr. Pike

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people are currently in prison.

The Minister of State, Home Office (Mr. David Waddington)

On 11 May 1984 there were 44,493 persons held in prison department custody in England and Wales.

Mr. Pike

Does the Minister agree that there is serious overcrowding in the prisons and that there are not enough proper facilities for work and education, which is bad for the morale of both prisoners and prison officers?

Mr. Waddington

As a Government we are tackling that problem by embarking on a prison building programme that will ease it enormously. I remind the hon. Gentleman that the minimum qualifying period for parole will be reduced on 1 July 1984.

Mr. Forth

Although I welcome the Government's prison building programme, will my hon. and learned Friend give an assurance that the provision of prison places will not act as a limitation on sentencing policy, and that if we find that there is a need to imprison more people for longer in order to deter crime we will provide appropriate prison places for that purpose?

Mr. Waddington

Clearly, it is the Government's duty to enable the courts to impose the sentences which they consider right. Obviously, that is the object of the exercise. That is why we have embarked on the prison building programme, which involves 14 new prisons planned or under construction, and the provision of 10,600 additional places by 1991.

Ms. Clare Short

Does the Minister accept that in Britain a higher proportion of the population are in prison than is the case in any other European country? Does he agree that the Government should, therefore, address themselves to the problem of reducing the prison population and, in particular, to dealing with the vast numbers of people remanded in custody who are not subsequently given a prison sentence?

Mr. Waddington

The hon. Lady knows that the Criminal Justice Act 1982 enhances the powers of courts to impose non-custodial sentences. We shall shortly publish a discussion document on the possibility of introducing new sentencing options such as day and weekend imprisonment. That must go some way towards meeting the hon. Lady's argument.

Mr. Dubs

Is not the truth about the prison building programme that the new prisons will be in the wrong places and will be of the wrong type? Does the Minister agree that most overcrowding is in local prisons? Does he seriously believe that the prison building programme will do anything other than encourage the judiciary to fill the extra places?

Mr. Waddington

The answer to the first part of the hon. Gentleman's question is no. I do not believe for one moment that our plans will encourage magistrates and the courts to send to prison people who should not be sent there. It is our clear duty to ensure that the courts have the power to send people to prison when that is necessary.