§ Mr. Tony Lloydasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people are currently held on remand in prison and similar institutions in England and Wales; and how many of them were before the courts for the first time.
§ Mr. HurdOn 31 December 1983 there were 7,600 untried and convicted unsentenced prisoners in prison department establishments in England and Wales. Infonnation on their previous court appearances is not recorded centrally.
§ Mr. Tony Lloydasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the average length of time spent in prison or similar institutions by prisoners on remand; and what was the maximum length of time in 1983.
§ Mr. HurdEstimates of the average time spent in custody by all untried and convicted unsentenced prisoners are published annually in "Prison statistics, England and Wales"—table 2(g) of the issue for 1982, Cmnd. 9027. Corresponding estimates for 1983 are not yet available. For the latest readily available information on the longest periods on remand I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to a question by the hon. Member for Knowsley, North (Mr. Kilroy-Silk) on 21 December 1983.—[Vol. 51, c.244.]