HL Deb 10 February 1975 vol 356 c1203WA
Viscount MERSEY

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What was the number of men serving prison sentences at any convenient recent date in the United Kingdom (but excluding Northern Ireland) and of the total number how many were of Irish origin, West Indian origin, African origin and Pakistani origin.

Lord HARRIS of GREENWICH

An analysis of the information available on 6th January showed that of a total of 23,310 men serving prison sentences in England and Wales 1,091 were born in the Irish Republic, 778 were born in the West Indies, 168 were born in Common-wealth or former Commonwealth countries in Africa and 132 were born in Pakistan or Bangladesh. I regret that comparable information relating to men serving sentences in Scottish prisons is not readily available.