HC Deb 05 May 1983 vol 42 cc131-3W
Mr. Dewar

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give the average daily number of prisoners held in Scottish prisons awaiting sentence in 1970 and for each of the last three years for which figures are available.

Mr. Allan Stewart

Statistics in the form requested are available only from 1974, when the average daily number of prisoners held in Scottish prisons awaiting sentence was 171. Corresponding figures for the last three years for which figures are available are:

Number
1979 125
1980 151
1981 182

Mr. Dewar

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the average daily cost of maintaining a prisoner in a Scottish prison at the latest convenient date.

Mr. Allan Stewart

The average daily cost of maintaining a prisoner in an adult prison in the year ended 31 March 1982 was £20.20. The average over all penal establishments for the same period was £21.10 per day.

Mr. Dewar

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give the average daily prison population in Scotland for 1950, 1960, 1970 and the latest convenient year for which figures are available.

Mr. Allan Stewart

The average daily population of Scottish penal establishments in each of the years in question was as follows:

Number
1950 1,781
1960 2,821
1970 5,003
1981 4,518

Mr. Dewar

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give the average daily number of prisoners held in prison in Scotland on remand awaiting trial in 1970 and for each of the last three years for which figures are available; and what was the average length of stay in prison of a prisoner in this category.

Mr. Allan Stewart

Statistics in the form requested are available only from 1974. In that year, the average daily number of prisoners held awaiting trial was 474, and the estimated average length of stay in prison was 14.8 days. Corresponding figures for the last three years are:

Number Estimated length of stay (days)
1979 566 16.9
1980 554 18.4
1981 564 18.3

Mr. Dewar

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many prisoners were admitted to prison because of failure to pay a fine for the latest available period for which figures are available; how many of these were admitted in connection with the non-payment of a fine of under £50; what was the average length of stay of prisoners admitted for non-payment of fine; and what was the percentage of the total number of admissions of prisoners to serve a sentence in Scottish prisons which fell into this category.

Mr. Allan Stewart

In 1981, 6,755 prisoners were admitted to Scottish prisons because of failure to pay a fine. No breakdown is available of the amount of the fine involved in these cases. The average length of stay in custody for these prisoners was 9.6 days. The percentage of the total number of admissions of prisoners under sentence to Scottish penal establishments which fell into this category in 1981 was 43.5.