§ Mr. LeighTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, further to the answer to the hon. Member for Gainsborough and Horncastle of 27 June, why 16 category C prisons have a population lower than their certified normal accommodation.
§ Mr. Douglas HoggPrison population may fluctuate for a number of reasons. The population is mobile; prisoners584W arrive at local prisons, are transferred to training prisons of the appropriate security category, may be transferred later to training prisons of lower security category and are finally released. Consequently, vacancies in some establishments are likely to appear in any count of population against certified normal accommodation, unless the establishments are regularly overcrowded. Additionally, the Government's construction programme is delivering extra accommodation in both existing and new prisons, the occupation of which takes time to build up.
§ Mr. LeighTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the total amount spent per annum for each category C prison in the United Kingdom on foodstuffs; and what proportion of this was purchased from small local retail shops.
§ Mr. Douglas HoggIn 1986–87 the total amount spent in each category C prison on foodstuffs purchased to meet the dietary scale was as follows:
Prison Amount £ Acklington 148,394 Camp Hill 184,910 Channings Wood 152,876 Featherstone 186,230 Haverigg 185,831 Highpoint 300,245 Lancaster 77,534 Lindholme 249,295 Northeye 56,238 Preston 181,946 Ranby 140,086 Send 32,346 Shepton Mallet 80,254 Stafford 243,136 Stocken 104,254 Thorp Arch 44,826 The Verne 195,013 Wayland 160,673 Wymott 265,251 2,989,338 Information on the proportion of these foodstuffs, and of inmate canteen items, purchased from small local retail shops is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.