§ Mr. Andrew F. BennettTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what proposals he has received for the provision of suitable alternative accommodation for remand prisoners in Greater Manchester;
(2) for how many prisoners on remand provision has been made for them to held in police cells in Greater Manchester for each month over 12 months; and if he will give the figures individually for Stockport, Cheadle Hulme and Denton police stations.
§ Mr. Kenneth BakerVigorous efforts continue to be made to reduce further the number of prisoners held in police cells. This will be greatly assisted by the opening of an additional 140 refurbished places at Manchester prison this summer and by other new accommodation which is shortly to be brought into use in the north of England.
Emergency arrangements for the use of police cells when sufficient accommodation is not available in prison service establishments, and the use of cells in individual police stations, is a matter for the chief officer of the force concerned. Prison service management liaises closely with the police on the provision of accommodation, and the police are reimbursed for the additional expenditure they sustain.