§ Mr. HardyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his estimate of the number of prisoners including remand prisoners who participated in riots inside prisons from late March; and if he will provide his estimate of the costs of damage at each prison where riots or disturbances occurred.
§ Mr. MellorA total of more than 1,000 inmates (including those on remand) were present—although not necessarily participating—in the particular parts of prisons where disturbances began during the period 1–9 April. Until police investigations are concluded it will not be possible to distinguish the number of active participants from others.
The most serious damage occurred at Manchester, Bristol and Dartmoor prisons. It will not be possible to estimate costs at Manchester until the incident there is concluded. In addition to repairing the damage at Bristol and Dartmoor our intention is to upgrade the accommodation there, to provide integral sanitation and
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Table 1 Procedure 1986 1987 1988 1989 Appeals received 52 53 60 56 Appeals withdrawn before decision reached 6 7 9 8 Appeals determined 46 46 51 48 Referred to a tribunal 34 33 46 43 Not referred to a tribunal 12 13 5 5 other planned improvements. The overall cost of this work, including the repairs, is estimated at £3 million at Bristol and £3.5 million at Dartmoor.
Costs of repairing the minor damage to other establishments have yet to be finally assessed.
§ Mr. Alfred MorrisTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a further statement on the violence in Manchester's Strangeways prison.
§ Mr. MellorSince my right hon. and learned Friend last reported to the House on 5 April about the position at Manchester prison, 15 men have surrendered to the authorities, but seven inmates, whom we believe we have identified by name, remain in the prison. Negotiations are continuing with the aim of resolving the disturbance without further injury to staff or inmates.