HC Deb 27 October 1997 vol 299 cc738-9W
31. Mr. Fallon

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to increase the number of places in prisons. [11687]

Ms Quin

To help with the current population pressures, the Prison Service was allocated a further £43 million in July for this year and next. In total, these resources will create 290 new places on top of those to be provided by the existing building programme and will provide additional staffing and fund regime activities to support the placing of a further 1,830 prisoners in existing accommodation.

The existing building programme will provide 8,600 additional places over this year and the next two years through a combination of expanding existing prisons and building new prisons.