§ Mr. Coxasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what rights and conditions apply to people (a) being held on remand in police cells and (b) serving a prison sentence;
(2) what are the rights of people being held on remand in police cells as to visits; and if he will make a statement as to his Department's policy in this matter.
§ Mr. John PattenThe conditions under which sentenced and unsentenced prisoners are held in prison department establishments are laid down in "The Prison Rules 1964" as amended. These do not extend to prisoners held in police cells. However, such prisoners are covered by the relevant sections of the code of practice for detention, questioning and treatment of persons by police officers issued under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984.
§ Mr. Coxasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the number of (a) men and(b) women being held in police cells in the United Kingdom on I July; and what was the longest period of time a person on remand had been held under such conditions on that date.
§ Mr. John PattenOn 3 July, the nearest date for which reliable figures are available, the number of men being held in police and court cells in England and Wales was 511 and the number of women was 109. The longest period of time that a person on remand had been so held was 65 days.
§ Mr. Coxasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the number of people held in police cells in the United Kingdom for each month since January 1965.
§ Mr. John PattenThe readily available information relates to the last Friday of each month when the numbers of prisoners held in police cells in England and Wales were as follows:
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1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 August — — — 233 — 55 89 September — — 119 250 1 28 188 October 3,497 — 41 259 13 13 106 November 3,494 — 170 568 18 42 195 December 3,454 — — 33 — — 59 There are no records available prior to 1980 and information relating to the years 1980 and 1982 is incomplete.
§ Mr. Coxasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department why people, whose homes are in London and who have been remanded in custody by courts in London, are being held in police cells many miles away from London.
§ Mr. John PattenThe continuing rise in the prison population, particularly those remanded in custody, has led to the increasing use of police cells to accommodate some remand prisoners. The pressure on police cells in the Metropolitan police district has made it necessary for the police to look outside London for short term accommodation.