§ Mr. George Cunninghamasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to secure the termination of the practice of holding remanded prisoners in police or court accommodation instead of in prison.
§ Mr. MellorWe are taking all possible steps to increase the effective capacity of prison accommodation in London and the south-east, where the present difficulties have arisen, by transferring prisoners to prisons outside the Metropolitan area and by a number of other measures, which my hon. and learned Friend described in reply to a debate on the Adjournment secured by the hon. Member for Battersea, South (Mr. Dubs) on 23 December.—[Vol. 37, c. 1134–8.]
§ Mr. George Cunninghamasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what payment was made from the Government to the Metropolitan police and Greater London Council in each of the past three years in respect of prisoners remanded in custody and held in police or court accommodation instead of prison because of lack of accommodation in the latter.
§ Mr. MellorThe charges levied by the Metropolitan Police and met entirely out of the Prisons Vote in respect of each of the past three financial years for the use of police accommodation to hold prisoners were as follows:
£ 1980–81 3,935,713 1981–82 582,895 1982–83* 2,315,033 * To December 1982.