HC Deb 20 December 1979 vol 976 cc286-9W
Mr. Newens

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish a list of the annual number of deaths of prisoners in police custody for each police district over the course of the last 10 years, indicating in each case the number who were deemed to have died from natural causes.

Mr. Brittan

The figures are as follows:

DEATHS IN POLICE CUSTODY 1970–79
ENGLAND AND WALES 1970
Force Inquest Verdict Natural Causes Total Deaths
Merseyside 2
West Yorkshire 1 2
Metropolitan 2 3
TOTAL 3 7
1971
Force Inquest Verdict Natural Causes Total Deaths
Avon and Somerset 1
Dorset 1
Greater Manchester 1 1
Kent 1
Merseyside 1 2
Northumbria 1
South Wales 1
Suffolk 1
Surrey 1
West Midlands 1 2
Metropolitan 1 5
TOTAL 4 17
1972
Force Inquest Verdict Natural Causes Total Deaths
Devon and Cornwall 1
Gloucestershire 1
Hampshire 1
Hertfordshire 1
Lancashire 1 1
Merseyside 1 1
South Wales 1
West Yorkshire 2
City of London 1
Metropolitan 4 8
TOTAL 6 18
1973
Force Inquest Verdict Natural Causes Total Deaths
Cleveland 1
Cumbria 1
Humberside 1 1
Merseyside 1
North Yorkshire 1 1
Nottinghamshire 1 1
West Midlands 1 1
West Yorkshire 2
Metropolitan 6 11
TOTAL 10 20
1974
Force Inquest Verdict Natural Causes Total Deaths
Avon and Somerset 1
Bedfordshire 1
Cheshire 1
Cleveland 1
Devon and Cornwall 1
Dyfed Powys 1
Greater Manchester 2 2
Lincolnshire 1
South Wales 1
Thames Valley 1
Warwickshire 1
West Mercia 1
West Midlands 1
City of London 1
Metropolitan 7 12
TOTAL 9 27
1975
Force Inquest Verdict Natural Causes Total Deaths
Avon and Somerset 1
Dorset 1
Greater Manchester 1
Hampshire 1
Humberside 1
Kent 1
Lancashire 1
Merseyside 1
Norfolk 1
Northants 1
North Wales 1
South Wales 1 3
Staffs 1
Sussex 1
West Midlands 1 2
West Yorkshire 2
Metropolitan 6 17
TOTAL 8 37
1976
Force Inquest Verdict Natural Causes Total Deaths
Bedfordshire 1 1
Essex 1
Greater Manchester 1 3
Leicestershire 1 1
Merseyside 2
North Yorkshire 1
South Wales 2
West Yorkshire 1 1
Metropolitan 2 12
TOTAL 6 24
1977
Force Inquest Verdict Natural Causes Total Deaths
Avon and Somerset 1 1
Cheshire 2
Cleveland 1
Devon and Cornwall 1
Greater Manchester 1
Gwent 1
Hertfordshire 1
Kent 1
Lancashire 1
Merseyside 1 3
Northumbria 3
North Wales 1
North Yorkshire 1
West Midlands 3 5
Metropolitan 3 8
TOTAL 8 31
1978
Force Inquest Verdict Natural Causes Total Deaths
Bedfordshire 1
Cheshire 1
Derbyshire 1
Gloucestershire 1
Greater Manchester 2
Hampshire 1
Humberside 2
Kent 1
Merseyside 1
Northumbria 2
North Wales 1 1
North yorkshire 1
Nottinghamshire 1 1
South Wales 1 3
South yorkshire 1 1
Surrey 1 1
Sussex 2
Warwicks 1
West Yorkshire 2 4
Metropolitan 3 20
TOTAL 10 48
1979(1 JANUARY-30 JUNE)
Force Inquest Verdict Natural Causes Total Deaths
Avon and Somerset 1
Devon and Cornwall 1
Durham 1
Greater Manchester 1
Lancashire 1
Merseyside 1
Sussex 1
Thames Valley 2
West Yorkshire 1
Metropolitan 2 6
TOTAL 2 16

Notes

(a) Figures include deaths in hospital while person concerned was technically in police custody, and persons dead on arrival in hospital.

(b) In 23 cases during the nine and a half year period no inquest was held, and in one case (James Kelly) the inquest at present stands adjourned.