HC Deb 08 December 1988 vol 143 cc285-6W
Mr. Battle

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how long on average prisoners remanded to Armley remain in prison before being brought to trial.

Mr. Douglas Hogg

Information is not available centrally on the average time spent on remand in individual establishments. The information available relates to the average time spent on remand in all prison service establishments by untried and convicted unsentenced prisoners and is published annually in "Prison Statistics, England and Wales" (tables 2(c) and 2(d) of the latest issue for 1986, Cm. 210, a copy of which is in the Library). The 1987 issue will be published shortly.

Mr. Battle

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people are in Armley prison as a result of not paying bills or fines.

Mr. Douglas Hogg

On 31 October 1988, the latest date for which information is readily available, there were 18 fine defaulters and no prisoners held for non-payment of debts in Leeds prison.

Mr. Battle

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners there were in Armley prison on 1 December; how many were(a) in cells of their own and (b) in the hospital wing; and how many were on remand.

Mr. Douglas Hogg

On 1 December 1,291 prisoners were held in Her Majesty's prison, Leeds. Of these, 613 were untried and 107 had been convicted and awaited sentence. 33 prisoners were located in the hospital wing. On 13 November, the most recent date for which cell-occupancy figures are available, 62 prisoners were accommodated in cells of their own.

Mr. Battle

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners in Armley prison go to education classes(a) every day or (b) every week.

Mr. Douglas Hogg

The readily available information is as follows. It is planned that for 5-9 December there will be an average of 182 education places available for prisoners per day, and 498 individual prisoners will attend education classes.

Mr. Battle

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have died in Armley prison since January; and how many of those deaths have been classified as suicides by coroners' inquests.

Mr. Douglas Hogg

Six inmates have died in Armley prison, Leeds, since January. Of these deaths, three have been confirmed as suicide by coroners' inquests, and two as deaths by natural causes. One inquest has yet to take place.