§ Ms RuddockTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what date in March the number of prisoners in England and Wales being held three to a cell reached zero; on what dates since then prisoners have been held three to a cell, and at which prisons; and how many prisoners have been held three to a cell on each occasion.
§ Mr. Peter LloydResponsibility for this matter has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter from D. Lewis to Ms Joan Ruddock, dated 14 June 1994:
The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about prisoners sharing three to a cell.This information is submitted routinely by establishments on the last Friday of each month, and was collected exceptionally on 31 March 1994, the end of our financial year.On Friday 25 March 1994 there were twenty-four prisoners sharing three to a cell designed for one at Leicester prison. On Thursday 31 March 1994 and Friday 29 April 1994 there were no prisoners sharing three to a cell designed for one.