HC Deb 06 July 1988 vol 136 cc583-4W
Mr. Leigh

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, further to the answer to the hon. Member for Gainsborough and Horncastle of 27 June, why 16 category C prisons have a population lower than their certified normal accommodation.

Mr. Douglas Hogg

Prison population may fluctuate for a number of reasons. The population is mobile; prisoners arrive at local prisons, are transferred to training prisons of the appropriate security category, may be transferred later to training prisons of lower security category and are finally released. Consequently, vacancies in some establishments are likely to appear in any count of population against certified normal accommodation, unless the establishments are regularly overcrowded. Additionally, the Government's construction programme is delivering extra accommodation in both existing and new prisons, the occupation of which takes time to build up.

Mr. Leigh

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the total amount spent per annum for each category C prison in the United Kingdom on foodstuffs; and what proportion of this was purchased from small local retail shops.

Mr. Douglas Hogg

In 1986–87 the total amount spent in each category C prison on foodstuffs purchased to meet the dietary scale was as follows:

Prison Amount
£
Acklington 148,394
Camp Hill 184,910
Channings Wood 152,876
Featherstone 186,230
Haverigg 185,831
Highpoint 300,245
Lancaster 77,534
Lindholme 249,295
Northeye 56,238
Preston 181,946
Ranby 140,086
Send 32,346
Shepton Mallet 80,254
Stafford 243,136
Stocken 104,254
Thorp Arch 44,826
The Verne 195,013
Wayland 160,673
Wymott 265,251
2,989,338

Information on the proportion of these foodstuffs, and of inmate canteen items, purchased from small local retail shops is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Back to