HL Deb 18 December 1986 vol 483 cc345-6WA
Lord Harris of Greenwich

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What is the average number of remand prisoners detained in police cells in each week in 1986, because of the shortage of prison accommodation; and which were the police forces concerned.

The Earl of Caithness

The average number of prisoners held in police cells in England and Wales each week this year is as follows:

Week-ending Average per night
4th January 5
11th January 2
18th January 17
25th January 19
1st February 22
8th February 26
15th February 38
22nd February 33
1st March 40
8th March 66
15th March 85
22nd March 51
29th March 36
5th April 53
12th April 63
19th April 99
26th April 144
3rd May 195
10th May 173
17th May 176
24th May 134
31st May 116
7th June 145
14th June 168
21st June 188
28th June 173
5th July 171
12th July 186
19th July 200
26th July 233
2nd August 210
9th August 175
16th August 192
23rd August 108
30th August 117
6th September 62
13th September 84
20th September 84
27th September 90
4th October 103
11th October 89
18th October 121
25th October 129
1st November 123
8th November 119
15th November 130
22nd November 175
29th November 210
6th December 254
13th December 282

Police forces by which prisoners have been held include the following:

Metropolitan Hertfordshire
Avon and Somerset Kent
City of London Merseyside
Bedfordshire Northamptonshire
Cambridgeshire Suffolk
Essex Surrey
Gloucestershire Sussex
Greater Manchester Thames Valley
Leicestershire West Yorkshire
Hampshire
Other forces may have held prisoners briefly during the industrial action in April-May but are not centrally recorded.