§ Mr. FisherTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were in prison for debt default(a) nationally and (b) in Strangeways prison, Manchester, in the last week for which figures are available.
§ Mr. MellorAccording to the records held centrally, on 28 February 1990 435 fine defaulters were held in prison service establishments in England and Wales of whom 32 were in Manchester. Similar information for prisoners committed for non-payment of debts is not readily available. However, 55 non-criminal prisoners other than Immigration Act detainees were in prison service establishments on 28 February, none of whom was in Manchester. About half of these prisoners would have been debtors. Detailed information about the population of prisoners committed for non-payment of debts is published annually in "Prison Statistics England and Wales" (table 6.1 of the latest issue, for 1988 Cm. 825), copies of which are in the Library.