§ Mr. Bishopasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department in what years the prisons at Nottingham and Lincoln were built; how many prisoners are confined in each as compared with capacity; how many are more than one to a cell; how much has been spent on improvements and modernisation in the past five years and are planned for the next five years; and what proposals there are to reduce or abolish the use of chamber pots and slopping out in these prisons.
§ Mr. CarlisleNottingham Prison was first occupied in 1890. On 30th November it contained 287 prisoners against a normal capacity of 204. 162 prisoners were sleeping two to a cell. In the financial years 1966–67 to 1970–71, £107,500 was spent on maintenance, modernisation and improvements. About £35,000 will be spent in the current financial year including the start of work on a new trade training workshop.
Lincoln Prison was first occupied in 1869. On 30th November it contained 566 prisoners against a normal capacity of 320. 412 prisoners were sleeping two or three to a cell. In the financial years 1966–67 to 1970–71, £139,000 was spent on maintenance, modernisation and improvements. About £75,000 will be spent in the current financial year including the start of work on an extension to the hospital. Work on a new 366W boiler house, engineers' workshop and stores should start in 1972–73.
My right hon. Friend hopes that further improvements will be made to both prisons in the next few years, and is considering the possibility of providing additional accommodation for prisoners in which slopping out would not be necessary. I cannot yet say when further schemes can be fitted into the building programme or what the total expenditure at these prisons over the next five years will be. There is no prospect of abolishing slopping out in the existing cell blocks in that period.