§ Sir Graham Pageasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department by what amount the prison population, including any persons exceptionally detained in police cells, has increased since the lowest level reached during the prison officers' dispute; and what has been the increase in unsentenced and sentenced inmates respectively.
§ Mr. WhitelawThe total population in custody reached its lowest figure for the period of industrial action at the end of December 1980, when it was just under 40,000. By the end of February 1981, the figure had risen and provisional returns indicate that it had reached between 43,500 and 44,000 by the end of March. It is estimated that seasonal factors may have accounted for about 2,000 of the increase to the end of February. Both for this 2,000 and for the remainder of about 1,000, it is estimated that about half was accounted for by unsentenced prisoners and about half by sentenced prisoners. The total prison population at the end of February would have been between 200 and 300 higher but for the extension of remission for short-term prisoners which took effect on 23 February.
More detailed information on the changes in the prison population during the early part of the industrial action up to the end of 1980 was published in Home Office Statistical Bulletin Issue 3/81. A further bulletin giving more detailed information up to 31 March will be published next month.