§ Mr. Tony LloydTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) how many prisoners Maghaberry prison was built to accommodate; and how many it houses;
(2) what role Maghaberry prison was planned to fill; and if he will make a statement about its present and future use.
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§ Mr. StanleyThere are two prisons on the same site at Maghaberry, one for women and one for men. The former was built to house all the female prisoners and young offenders in Northern Ireland. It has been fully operational since March 1986 and will continue to be used to hold female inmates, both those sentenced and those on remand. It was designed to accommodate 56 inmates and currently holds 39, who represent the total number of female prisoners in Northern Ireland.
The men's prison on the same site was planned to provide accommodation for convicted prisoners of all types and security categories. A gradual build-up of the population has started and it is intended to include a range of short and long-term prisoners. It was built to accommodate 432 inmates and currently houses 38. It is anticipated that the prison will have around 100 inmates by mid-February 1988 with the build-up continuing thereafter.