§ 38. Mr. Easthamasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action he proposes to relieve the overcrowding in Her Majesty's prisons.
§ Mr. MellorWe have taken vigorous steps to cope with the rising population by acceleration of the building programme by re-occupying disused accommodation and by altering functions of establishments so as to make more intensive use of the prison estate. We are also continuing to encourage the use of non-custodial sentences whenever this is right.
The present unsatisfactory conditions in some of our prisons results from years of neglect and will not be remedied quickly. It was for this reason that in 1979 the Government embarked on the major building programme that is currently under way. This programme includes a total of 18 purpose-built new prisons which will provide some 8,000 additional places by the early 1990s. Three of these prisons have already been completed, five are currently under construction and the remainder are at various stages of planning and design. Apart from the new prisons, there are some 25 major capital projects at existing establishments and also many other smaller schemes. These projects will provide 5,500 or so places over the next few years. In addition, a former RAF camp at Lindholme near Doncaster has been acquired and converted for prison purposes and a prison previously not in use has been re-opened, providing a further 900 places 188W early in 1986. The building programme will gradually improve conditions and bring us nearer to ending overcrowding.