HC Deb 03 July 1978 vol 953 c36W
Mr. Arthur Lewis

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will state the actual or estimated total costs of keeping in prison the 1,366 prisoners serving life sentences at the end of April 1978, of which some 64 were in open prisons.

Dr. Summerskill

The cost of keeping a life sentence prisoner in a particular establishment is not separately recorded, but the best estimate is that, during 1977–78, the total cost of maintaining all prisoners serving life sentences was about £6.5 million.