§ Mr. RedmondTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how he intends to reduce prison overcrowding in respect of Leeds prison; what information he has about the current level of overcrowding at that prison; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Douglas HoggOn 19 April 1,354 prisoners were held at Her Majesty's prison Leeds compared with a certified normal accommodation of 642.
Leeds prison, in common with other local prisons, is seriously overcrowded. We have sought to provide such 593W measures of relief as is possible under present circumstances by diverting some remand prisoners elsewhere and by a sustained effort to move convicted prisoners to training establishments as soon as places become available.
In the longer term, Leeds prison will also benefit from the prison building programme. Five hundred and forty-two new places will be provided at the prison in early 1991. As well as providing some additional accommodation, this will enable a programme of refurbishment of the existing blocks to proceed. Redevelopment will be completed by late 1996.