§ 35. Mr. Edward Gardnerasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he intends to use cells at police stations to hold remanded prisoners; and, if so, how many such cells are (a) now being used for this purpose and (b) are intended to be so used in future.
§ Dr. SummerskillIt is not the Government's policy to use police cells to house persons committed to prison custody, but 837W do so. The last occasion on which this was necessary was during an industrial dispute earlier this month, when a maximum of 59 prisoners had to be housed for the night in police cells in the London area. At the present time there are no such prisoners held in police cells.