Prison Population (Hansard, 4 July 1985)

§ Mr. Kilroy-Silk
asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department by how many people the prison population has changed since Easter; and what was the figure for the same period after Easter in 1982, 1983 and 1984, respectively.

§ Mr. Mellor
The increase or decrease in the prison population between Good Friday and the last Friday in June has been as follows: 239W

Year Increase or decrease Number of weeks

1982 -113 ^*11

1983 †-695 12

1984 -214 10

1985 +1,737 12

^* In 1982 population figures for Good Friday were not recorded centrally; figures for the previous Friday are used instead.

† During May 1983 there was a fall of about 1,000 in the number of young offenders in the prison population following implementation of Part 1 of the Criminal Justice Act 1982.

§ Mr. Kilroy-Silk
asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has made contingency plans to relieve overcrowding in prisons in the event that the rate at which the prisons building programme is implemented proves inadequate to cope with the increase in the prison population; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Mellon
We naturally keep the adequacy of the prison building programme under review.

Year	Increase or decrease	Number of weeks
1982	-113	^*11
1983	†-695	12
1984	-214	10
1985	+1,737	12
^* In 1982 population figures for Good Friday were not recorded centrally; figures for the previous Friday are used instead.
† During May 1983 there was a fall of about 1,000 in the number of young offenders in the prison population following implementation of Part 1 of the Criminal Justice Act 1982.