§ Mr. Hancockasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the number of prisoners in prison on 31 October.
§ Mr. MellorOn 31 October 1985 about 46,900 persons were held in prison department establishments in England and Wales.
§ Mr. Hancockasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prison officers there were on 31 October.
§ Mr. MellorOn I November 1985—the nearest convenient date for which figures are available—there were 18,527 full-time and 49 part-time members of the prison officer class employed in prison department establishments in England and Wales.
§ Mr. Hancockasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisons have more than the certified number of prisoners.
§ Mr. MellorOn 22 November 1985, 53 establishments had a population greater than their certified normal accommodation.
§ Mr. Hancockasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many staff other than warden staff or prison officers are employed in prisons in England and Wales; and what is the ratio of such staff to prisoners.
§ Mr. MellorOn 1 November 1985 there were 6,577 members of staff, other than governor and prison officer grades, employed full or part-time in prison department establishments in England and Wales: a ratio of approximately one member of staff to seven prisoners.
Records of staff employed locally on a sessional basis are not kept centrally: this information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
§ Mr. Peter Bruinvelsasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the average weekly cost of keeping a convicted prisoner in each of the various categories of prison.
30W
§ Mr. MellorIn the financial year 1984–85 the average weekly cost of keeping a person in each of the various types of penal establishment was as follows:
Type of establishment £ Local prisons and adult remand centres 241 Dispersal prisons 482 Category B training prisons 255 Category C training prisons 196 Open adult prisons 164 Closed youth establishments 269 Open youth establishments 294 Female establishments 363 It is not possible to distinguish between the costs of keeping convicted and unconvicted persons in custody.