Baroness Faithful)asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether Banstead Mental Hospital in Surrey (now closed and standing empty) could be used for remand cases instead of using police stations or remand centres far from London.
Earl FerrersBanstead Mental Hospital is owned by the North-West Thames Regional Health Authority. The Home Office Prison Department is negotiating for its purchase at an acceptable price, at the same time as considering its possible future use. Under present plans, the most likely future use would be to build a Category B local prison on the site.