HC Deb 20 March 1997 vol 292 cc841-2W
Mr. George Howarth

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the average proportion of the population at Her Majesty's prison Holloway(a) unconvicted awaiting trial and (b) convicted awaiting sentencing, in the most recent year for which figures are available. [20700]

Miss Widdecombe

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 Richard Tilt to Mr. George Howarth, dated 20 March 1997: The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about the proportions of untried, and convicted unsentenced prisoners at Holloway prison. No detailed daily records are kept, and it is therefore impossible to provide an accurate average figure. However, a biannual population monitoring exercise is conducted, and the average of the last three of these (30th June 1995, 31 January 1996 and 30 June 1996) are listed in the attached table.

Per cent.
Untried Convicted unsentenced
30 June 1995 30.7 12.8
31 January 1996 27.9 12.3
30 June 1996 32.5 12.2
Average 30.4 12.5

Mr. Howarth

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the average amount of time spent in custody by those convicted prisoners on remand awaiting sentencing at HMP Holloway who eventually received non-custodial sentences, in the most recent year for which figures are available. [20704]

Miss Widdecombe

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 Richard Tilt to Mr. George Howarth, dated 20 March 1997: The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about the average time spent in custody at Holloway prison by convicted prisoners on remand awaiting sentencing who subsequently received non-custodial sentences. This information is not held centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Mr. Howarth

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what was the average amount of time spent in custody by those unconvicted prisoners on remand at HMP Holloway while awaiting trial who(a) were acquitted and (b) had their charges dropped in the most recent year for which figures are available; [20702]

(2) what proportion of unconvicted prisoners on remand at HMP Holloway while awaiting trial (a) were acquitted and (b) had their charges dropped, in the most recent year for which figures are available; [20701]

(3) what proportion of convicted prisoners on remand awaiting sentencing at HMP Holloway received non-custodial sentences, in the most recent year for which figures are available. [20703]

Miss Widdecombe

Responsibility for these matters 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 Richard Tilt to Mr. George Howarth, dated 20 March 1997: The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Questions about convicted and unconvicted prisoners on remand in Holloway prison. The requested information is unavailable and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Mr. Madden

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 17 March,Official Report, columns 403–04, concerning strip searching of prisoners detained at HMP Holloway, when strip searching was introduced on the routine basis described in the reply; since that date, how many items of contraband have been discovered on (a) pregnant women, (b) remand prisoners and (c) convicted prisoners; and if he will make a statement. [21290]

Miss Widdecombe

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 Richard Tilt to Mr. Max Madden, dated 20 March 1997: The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about strip searching of prisoners at Holloway prison. Strip searching of prisoners is part of our normal security procedures as set out in the Security Manual, a copy of which is in the Library. These procedures have been in use for many years at Holloway. The detailed breakdown of figures you asked for are not available. I will write to you later giving those figures which are available.