§ Mr. Charles Irvingasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is satisfied with the current situation whereby many closed prisons are over crowded when there are over 400 vacancies in open prisons; and if he will take steps to remedy the situation immediately.
§ Mr. BrittanMost closed training prisons are not overcrowded. Overcrowding in local prisons is a matter for serious concern, but there is a lack of prisoners who meet the criteria for transfer to open conditions, having regard to the fact that the safety of the public must be the first consideration. On 15 July there were 358 vacant places in open prisons. The situation is monitored continuously to ensure that the fullest use is made of open accommodation.
§ Mr. Charles Irvingasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will take steps to remedy the situation whereby nearly 6,000 men in Her Majesty's prisons are three in a cell built to accommodate one person over 100 years ago, in order to avoid the stench in the hot weather of urine and excreta which becomes excessive and unbearable.
§ Mr. BrittanOn 8 July there were 4,314 men sleeping three to a cell. Building schemes already in progress are expected to produce an increase of 3,200 inmate places by 31 March 1983. The Government are reviewing the requirements for further prison building in the light of their developing strategies for law and order, but cell-sharing will have to continue until there is a significant reduction in the total prison population.