§ Mr. Gareth WardellTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will publish in theOfficial Report (a) the weekly cost for each police force in England and Wales met by his Department since the prison officers dispute began and (b) the total cost;
(2) if he will publish in the Official Report the number of prisoners that have been housed in police accommodation since the prison officers dispute began; and if he will separately distinguish the statistics for each force in England and Wales;
(3) how many police officers in each force in England and Wales have been involved with supervising Home Office prisoners since the prison officers' dispute began.
§ Mrs. RumboldI assume that the hon. Member is concerned with the effect of industrial action at Cardiff and Swansea prisons only.
Separate information on the cost of holding Cardiff prisoners in police cells and details of the number of police 527W officers involved in supervising these prisoners is not collected centrally. It could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
The number of prisoners housed in police accommodation on each Friday since the prison officers' dispute at Cardiff prison began and the police forces by which they were being held is as follows:
528W
Date Number Friday 21 June Avon and Somerset 16 Gwent 9 South Wales 60 Total 85 Friday 28 June Avon and Somerset 25 Dyfed and Powys 20 Gwent 21 South Wales 64 Total 130 Friday 5 July Avon and Somerset 23 Dyfed and Powys 20 Gwent 20 South Wales 49 Total 112 Friday 12 July Avon and Somerset 23 Dyfed and Powys 14 Gwent 23 South Wales 45 Total 105 Friday 19 July Avon and Somerset 25 Dyfed and Powys 2 Gwent 28 South Wales 76 Total 131 Friday 26 July Avon and Somerset 26 Devon and Cornwall 12 Gloucestershire 7 Gwent 26 South Wales 48 West Mercia 12 Total 131 Friday 2 August Avon and Somerset 22 Devon and Cornwall 22 Gloucestershire 7 Gwent 24 South Wales 40 West Mercia 15 Total 130 Friday 9 August Avon and Somerset 28 Devon and Cornwall 14 Gloucestershire 6 Gwent 22 South Wales 50 West Mercia 10 Total 130 Friday 16 August Devon and Cornwall 23 Gloucestershire 7 Gwent 26 South Wales 53 West Mercia 9 Total 118 Friday 23 August
529W
Date Number Avon and Somerset 26 Devon and Cornwall 23 Dyfed 5 Gloucestershire 10 Gwent 29 South Wales 44 West Mercia 9 Total 146 Friday 30 August Avon and Somerset 30 Devon and Cornwall 23 Dyfed 6 Gloucestershire 6 Gwent 24 South Wales 43 Total 138 Friday 6 September West Mercia 6 Avon and Somerset 33 Devon and Cornwall 22 Dyfed 12 Gloucestershire 6 Gwent 23 South Wales 54 Warwickshire 2 West Mercia 12 Wiltshire 1 Total 165 Friday 13 September Avon and Somerset 27 Devon and Cornwall 17 Dyfed 7 Gloucestershire 7 Gwent 23 Hampshire 9 South Wales 41 West Mercia 29 Wiltshire 2 Total 162 Friday 20 September Avon and Somerset 35 Devon and Cornwall 17 Dyfed 22 Gloucestershire 9 Hampshire 3 Leicestershire 7 South Wales 41 Thames Valley 5 Warwickshire 4 West Mercia 39 Total 182 Friday 27 September Avon and Somerset 23 Devon and Cornwall 22 Dorset 7 Dyfed 18 Gloucestershire 7 Gwent 24 Hampshire 3 Leicestershire 8 South Wales 37 Thames Valley 14 West Mercia 31 Total 194 Friday 4 October Avon and Somerset 26 Devon and Cornwall 13 Dorset 7 Dyfed 13 Gloucestershire 7 Gwent 23 Leicestershire 5 South Wales 32
Date Number Thames Valley 14 West Mercia 29 Wiltshire 2 Total 171 Friday 11 October Avon and Somerset 24 Devon and Cornwall 10 Dyfed 26 Gloucestershire 9 Gwent 23 Leicestershire 3 South Wales 40 Thames Valley 10 West Mercia 23 Total 168
§ Mr. Gareth WardellTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from chief constables on the effect on normal policing of the prison officers' dispute.
§ Mr. Peter LloydNo. My right hon. Friend has regular meetings with chief officers of police to discuss a wide range of policing matters, including the effect of the prison officers' dispute.
§ Mr. Gareth WardellTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the stress imposed on police officers resulting from the supervising of Home Office prisoners during the prison officers' dispute.
§ Mr. Peter LloydNo specific measurements of related stress have been made by the Home Office, but the Government's response to the Home Affairs Committee's fifth report on police sickness, published today, includes reference to more general research on stress in police work. Copies are being placed in the Library.