§ Dr. CunninghamTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the numbers of prisoners who have escaped, or attempted to escape, from all category C prisons in the last 20 years.
§ Mr. Douglas HoggStatistics on escaps are published in annual reports on the work of the prison department, copies of which are available in the Library, and show that the following numbers of prisoners escapd from category C prisons:
Year Number 1969 9 1970 12 1971 20 1972 45 1973 36 1974 26 1975 44 1976 50 1977 48 1978 44 1979 94 1980 62 1981 76 1982 98 1983 91 1984–85 105 1985–86 98 1986–87 68 The 1984–85 figure is for the 15-month period from 1 January 1984–31 March 1985. Subsequent reports relate to the year from 1 April. Between 1 April 1987 and 31 May 1988, a total of 103 prisoners escaped.
The figures need to be viewed in the context of the substantial increases which have occurred during the period in both the number of category C prisons, and the total average population of such establishments.
As to attempted escapes, the information readily available centrally relates to 1986–88 and shows that, during these years, the following numbers of prisoners were reported as having attempted to escape:
Year Number 1986 72 1987 93 1988 (to 31 May) 26