§ Mr. Tom Coxasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the yearly change since January 1980 in the prison population of England and Wales.
§ Mr. MellorThe information is given in the table. The prison population can vary considerably from month to month; annual averages are given each year in Prison Statistics, England and Wales (table 1.4 of the latest issue for 1985, Cmnd. 9903).
Population of Prison Department establishments in England and Wales on 31 December, 1979–86 Number of persons1 Change Year Population Number percentage 1979 41,152 1980 136,757 -4,395 -11 1981 40,789 4,032 11 1982 42,187 1,398 3 1983 41,310 -877 -2 1984 41,443 133 — 1985 44,419 2,976 7 1986 46,277 1,858 4 1 Because of the industrial action by the Prison Officers Association which affected the last three months of 1980, the population on 31 December was lower than otherwise; 760 prisoners were held in police cells.
§ Mr. Tom Coxasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what response he expects to make to the views expressed this week by prison governors of the problems they face in running prisons in England and Wales due to the increase of the prison population; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. MellorThe Government are already responding to the adverse conditions in some establishments to which the increase in the prison population has contributed. We are undertaking the largest prison building programme this century which, together with the programme of 771W redevelopment and refurbishment at existing establishments, has already produced 3,500 new places since June 1983 and will provide a total of 17,200 new places by 1995.
The Government have also taken steps to encourage the use of non-custodial disposals by the courts by strengthening the range of alternatives to custody for less serious offenders. Action to reduce the remand population includes the provision of 140 new or replacement court rooms and plans for 270 more, and plans for a scheme of time limits on the period spent on remand in custody.
Expenditure on the Prison Service has increased by 36 per cent. in real terms since May 1979. Staff numbers have increased by 19 per cent. over the same period. To make more effective use of these increased resources, improvements in management systems have been introduced. More recently, a package of proposals known as "Fresh Start" has been drawn up which is designed to produce more efficient and flexible working practices in prisons. The purpose of these efficiency measures is to release further resources for improving prison regimes.