HC Deb 17 February 1982 vol 18 cc122-3W
Mr. Soley

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the certified normal accommodation for Her Majesty's prison, Wormwood Scrubs; what is the latest figure for the prison's population; and how many baths, showers and toilets, classrooms, square feet of exercise space and workshop places are available to the prisoners.

Mr. Mayhew

The certified normal accommodation is 1,224; the number of inmates on 12 February was 1,250. There are 21 baths, 73 showers, 233 toilets and urinals, 20 classrooms, approximately 5,700 square meteres of exercise space and 628 workshop places.

Mr. Soley

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department for how many hours a week the workshops of Her Majesty's prison, Wormwood Scrubs were open during the week ending 29 January or other recent typical week; what was the average number of prisoners employed; how many classes took place and for how many hours; what was the average number of inmates in each class; and how much time on average each prisoner spent out of his cell during that week.

Mr. Mayhew

At Her Majesty's prison Wormwood Scrubs during the week ended 29 January 1982 422 prisoners were employed in the industrial workshops for an average of 15¾ hours. A total of 82 educational classes, each of an average duration of 2½ hours, were attended by an average of four prisoners per class.

There is no record of the average length of time each inmate spent out of his cell: for most it ranged from two to six hours a day, but for some it exceeded six.