§ Mr. Clinton Davisasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is aware of the serious overcrowding in Her Majesty's prisons; 39W whether he is aware that almost a third of the prisoners in local jails are there for debt and that they are clogging the prison system and contributing to a steep decline in staff and morale; and whether he will make a statement thereon.
§ Mr. CarlisleOn 15th October, 1970, the population of local prisons and remand centres in England and Wales was 19,062, of whom 406 had been committed for debt (including non-payment of maintenance and affiliation orders) and 561 were fine defaulters. Under the Administration of Justice Act 1970 imprisonment will be abolished for certain categories of debt.