HC Deb 03 July 1950 vol 477 cc10-2W
Dr. King

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will give the staffing ratio of warders to prisoners in His Majesty's prisons in 1939, 1945 and 1950.

Mr. Ede

The ratio of prison officers in the basic grade in relation to prisoners and Borstal inmates was on 1st April, 1939, 1 to 5 for both men and women; on 1st April, 1945, 1 to 8 for men and 1 to 11 for women, and on 1st April, 1950 (excluding 298 men and 37 women auxiliary officers under training), 1 to 7 for men and 1 to 6 for women. The figures are to the nearest unit.