§ Mr. Sedgemoreasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will investigate the circumstances and conditions in which remand prisoners, including Tracy Armstrong, a constituent of the hon. Member for Hackney South and Shoreditch, are being kept a week at a time in cells at magistrates' courts, including those at Lavender Hill magistrates court and Highbury Corner magistrates court; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. MellorSome untried prisoners are having to be held in police cells in London because of lack of places to accommodate the untried population. We are continuing to take vigorous action to tackle this problem. Among recent or current developments are the transfer of prisoners to other parts of the country, an increase in the capacity of Brixton, an increase in the number of untried prisoners held at Pentonville and the introduction of units for untried prisoners at Feltham and Rochester youth custody centres. We have also reached broad agreement with the Prison Officers Association at Holloway on an internal reorganisation which will progressively increase its capacity sufficiently to accommodate all London female untried prisoners.
We are conscious that police cells are not designed for holding prisoners for extended periods and that prisoners accommodated there do not receive the full range of privileges available in prison. Nevertheless, the police are doing all they can to provide the best possible conditions in very difficult circumstances.