HC Deb 08 February 1995 vol 254 cc249-50W
Mr. George Howarth

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the total number of(a) category A, (b) category B and (c) category C places available in each of the Prison Service regions; and if he will list the changes that have taken place during the last 12 months between those categories.

Mr. Michael Forsyth

Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

Letter from Derek Lewis to Mr. George Howarth, dated 8 February 1995: The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about the total number of Category A, B and C places available in each Prison Service region. Prisons are defined by operational function and an establishment will have, according to its particular function, accommodation designed for holding prisoners up to a particular security category. Information on the security standard of accommodation available in each of the Prison Service areas at closed training prisons and local prisons is given in the attached tables. Copies of these tables have been placed in the Library of the House.

Table 1: Number of adult male prison places available for prisoners categorised A, B or C at 31 December 1994 (March 1994 figures are shown in brackets)
Area Category A Category B Category C
Central 362(362) 1,841(1,695) 1,361(1,660)
Chilterns — 932(890) 776(776)
East Midlands —_ 1,437(1,433) 1,526(1,572)
East Anglia — 992(1,088) 1,259(1,259)
Kent — 1,231(1,208) 859(838)
London North 534(534) 2,141(2,039) 1,127(1,277)
London South 301(334) 2,964(2,976) 151(145)
Mercia — 168(168) —
North East 1,014(1,051) 1,173(1,140) 1,307(1,307)
North West — 854(894) 1,116(1,097)
South Coast — 2,213(2,047) 721(768)
Trans Pennine 727(637) 2,614(2,077) 794(751)

Table 1: Number of adult male prison places available for prisoners categorised A, B or C at 31 December 1994 (March 1994 figures are shown in brackets)
Area Category A Category B Category C
Wales and West — 1,078(1,130) 270 (256)
Wessex 936(970) 1,192(1,304)
Yorkshire — 320(320) 408(394)
Total 2,938(2,918) 20,895 (20,075) 12,867 (13,404)

Notes:

  1. 1. Figures for Category A places comprise total number of places available in dispersal prisons which are suitable for Category A and Category B prisoners; and the number of places in the Category A Unit at HMP Belmarsh.
  2. 2. Figures for Category B places comprise the total number of places in non-dispersal training prisons and local prisons. Some of the more secure local prisons also hold Category A prisoners as and when necessary. A formal maximum number of places for this purpose is not designated.
  3. 3. The Category B figures include 127 (145) places immigration detainees at HMHC Haslar.

Table 2: Number of places available for convicted and sentenced Category A female prisoners
Area Category A Category B Category C
North East 48 — —

Notes:

  1. 1. There is currently only one sentenced Category A female prisoner.
  2. 2. With the exception of those categorised A, convicted and sentenced female prisoners are not categorised, but are allocated to open or closed conditions.