§ Dr. Summerskillasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether, pursuant to his answer of 20 May, Official Report, c. 459, he will list all the reasons why the prison population fell by over 4,000 during the prison officers' dispute.
§ Mr. MayhewThe fall of over 4,000 in the prison population from the end of September, before the POA dispute began, to the end of December reflected in part the normal seasonal fall at the end of the year. In addition, both the police and the courts made some changes in their usual practices to meet the needs of the situation, in particular by reducing the issue of warrants for nonpayment of fines, reducing the numbers remanded in custody and reducing the numbers sentenced to immediate imprisonment. Information on this subject has been given in various publications. Two Home Office Statistical Bulletins—issues Nos. 3/81 and 12/81—described the changes in the prison population during the industrial action. Further information was published in "Prison Statistics, England and Wales 1980", Cmnd. 8372, in the review of 1980 by the director-general contained in the "Report on the work of the Prison Department", Cmnd. 8228, and in "Criminal Statistics, England and Wales 1980", Cmnd. 8376, at paragraphs 6.9 and 7.27.