§ Mr. SteinbergTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list, by region, the prisoner to prison officer ratio in 1989–90, and the latest year for which figures are available. [2498]
§ Miss WiddecombeResponsibility for this matter has been delegated to the temporary Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter front Richard Tilt to Mr. Gerry Steinberg, dated 4 December 1995:
The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about the ratios, by region, of prisoners to prison officers.26WAnnex A shows the overall prisoner:officer (including prison custody officer) ratio in each of the Prison Service's fifteen areas. These figures reflect the position on 31 January 1995 and are the latest available.Area information for 1989/90 is not available. Annex B shows the available information for this period, which is restricted to an overall prisoner:officer ratio for the whole Prison Service.
Annex A: Prisoner—Prison Officer/Prison Custody Officer ratio by area as at 31 January 1995 Inmate population Officers/SO's/PO's Inmate: Officer ratio Central Area 4,515 2,243 2.0:1 East Midlands 4,018 1,539 2.6:1 Mercia 2,359 976 2.4:1 North-east 3,356 2,104 1.6:1 North-west 3,149 1,417 2.2:1 Trans Pennine 5,168 2,595 2.0:1 Yorkshire 2,165 1,107 2.0:1 Chilterns 2,539 1,240 2.0:1 East Anglia 2,666 1,250 2.1:1 Kent 3,217 1,479 2.2:1 London north 4,302 2,590 1.7:1 London south 4,214 2,752 1.5:1 South coast 2,255 1,244 1.8:1 Wales and west 2,158 1,147 1.9:1 Wessex 2,570 1,213 2.1:1
Annex B: Inmate—Officer ratio—1989 Average number of inmates for 1989 calender year Officers in post in establishments Inmate: Officer ratio 46,736 20,532 128:1