§ Mr. RedmondTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what changes he is proposing to reduce the number of hours that young remand prisoners are kept locked in cells.
§ Mr. MellorGovernors are encouraged to provide the best regimes possible within the resources available to them. A seminar was held in June 1989 for most prisons and remand centres holding young unconvicted prisoners for the purpose of exchanging knowledge and experience in providing for the needs of such prisoners. This led to action plans being prepared for improving procedures and enhancing regimes, including provision for education classes, physical education and other facilities involving more time out of cell. These plans are now being implemented and the results of the seminar have been communicated to other establishments so that the shared experience may help generally in efforts to improve procedures and regimes.
§ Ms. QuinTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will supply figures for the number of people currently held on remand in British prisons and the numbers of these who have to share cells with(a) one other person and (b) two or more people.
§ Mr. MellorOn 31 January 1990 there were 9,760 males and 443 females held on remand in England and Wales, compared with 10,486 males and 477 females on 31 January 1989.
The most recent readily available information on multiple occupancy of cells designed for one in local prisons and remand centres is given in the table, along with comparable figures for the previous year:
12 February 1989 11 February 1990 Two in a Cell Males 11,068 10,476 Females 118 80 Three in a Cell Males 5,007 3,333 Females 0 0 These figures cover sentenced and convicted unsentenced prisoners as well as unconvicted prisoners; the information is not collected in a way that enables the number of unconvicted prisoners to be separately identified.
22WResponsibility for prisons in Scotland rests with my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland.
§ Ms. QuinTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will supply figures for the number of people who are currently on remand in British prisons and who have applied for bail, who are having to share cells with(a) one other person and (b) two or more people.
§ Mr. MellorFigures for the number of people held on remand who have applied for bail are not collected centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.