§ Mr. Peter Bruinvelsasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish in the Official Report the total number of prisoners in England and Wales serving sentences of five years or more; and what is the average weekly cost for such prisoners.
§ Mr. HurdIt is estimated that about 5,300 persons in prison department establishments in England and Wales on 30 April 1983 were serving sentences of five years or more. Average weekly costs for such prisoners are not available separately. However, I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to a question by the hon. Member for Battersea (Mr. Dubs)— [Vol. 44, c.105]—yesterday about the average weekly costs of keeping a prisoner in custody in various categories of establishment.