HL Deb 08 February 1995 vol 561 cc11-2WA
Lord Harris of Greenwich

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many prisoners in England and Wales were sharing a cell designed for one person with (a) one other and (b) two others, on 30 November 1994 and on the most recent date for which data are available.

Baroness Blatch

Responsibility 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 to Lord Harris of Greenwich from the Director General of the Prison Service, Mr. Derek Lewis: Lady Blatch has asked me to reply to your recent Question about the number of prisoners in England and Wales sharing a cell designed for one person with (a) one other and (b) two others, on 30 November and on the most recent date for which data are available.

The information is given below:

Prisoners sharing a cell with one other
Number
At 30 November 1994 8,480
At 23 December 1994 7,754

There were no prisoners sharing a cell with two others on those dates. Trebling last occurred in April 1994.