§ Mr. AlexanderTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the progress made with the introduction of integral sanitation into the prison system and its consequent increase in pressure on prison places.
§ Mr. MellorAll prisons built or designed since 1979 have either integral sanitation within the living accommodation or free access to sanitation. At other establishments the introduction of sanitary facilities is proceeding as quickly as possible within physical and financial constraints. Following the Chancellor of the Exchequer's Autumn Statement yesterday, a further £150 million is being provided over the next two years for prison refurbishment. The programme aims to provide over 6,500 cells with sanitation during the next seven years. To achieve this the prison service is using a range of methods which, wherever possible, do not involve the displacement of large numbers of inmates.