§ The Earl of Longfordasked Her Majesty's Government:
What increase they estimate in the prison population between 1997 and 2005.
§ Lord Williams of MostynLong-term projections of the prison population in England and Wales are produced annually and were last published in the Home Office Statistical Bulletin 7/97 on 3 April 1997, a copy of which is in the Library. The figures requested are set out in the attached table A.
Table A Year England and Wales Average population Percentage increase on previous year per cent. 1997 60,500 5.5 1998 63,800 5.5 1999 65,500 2.7 2000 66,800 2.0 2001 68,200 2.1 2002 69,700 2.2 2003 71,200 2.2 2004 72,800 2.2 2005 74,500 2.3