§ Mr. StrawTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the cost of keeping prisoners in police cells(a) in each year since police cells have been used for this purpose and (b) in total. [34434]
§ Miss Widdecombe[holding answer 14 July 1995]: 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 from Derek Lewis to Mr. Jack Straw, dated 17 July 1995:
The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about the cost of keeping prisoners in police cells (a) in each year since police cells have been used for this purpose and (b) in total.The information requested is given in the attached table.
Total costs of holding prisoners in police cells—1981–82 to 1994–95 Financial year £ million 1981–82 0.002 1982–83 3.4 1983–84 10.8 1984–85 3.4 1985–86 2.2 1986–87 6.2 1987–88 24.9 1988–89 64.9 1989–90 12.4 1990–91 53.1 1991–92 94 1992–93 98.5 1993–94 11.0 1994–95 16.0 Total 400.802
§ Ms MowlamTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what was the total cost of holding prisoners in police cells per year by police force area for each year since 1987; [33478]
(2) how many prisoner nights were spent in police cells for each year since 1987. [33479]
§ Miss WiddecombeResponsibility for these matters 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 Derek Lewis to Ms Marjorie Mowlam, dated 17 July 1995.
The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Questions about the number of prisoner nights spent in police cells for each year since 1987, and the total cost of holding prisoners in police cells per year by police force area for each year since 1987.Information on the number of prisoner nights spent in police cells before 1990 is not available. Information for each year since 1990 is given in table 1.932WInformation on the cost of holding prisoners in police cells by police force area before 1994 could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. Details of costs by police force area for 1994 and the total costs of holding prisoners in police cells for the financial years 1986–87–1994–95 are given in tables 2 and 3.
Table 1: Number of prisoner nights spent in police cells 1990–1995 Year Number 1990 241,835 1991 375,625 1992 351,929 1993 9,796 1994 54,277 19951 34,106 1Up to an including 15 June.
Table 2: Total costs of holding prisoners in police cells—1986ߝ94ߝ95 Financial year £ million 1986ߝ87 6.2 1987ߝ88 24.9 1988ߝ89 64.9 1989ߝ90 12.4 1990ߝ91 53.1 1991ߝ92 94.0 1992ߝ93 98.5 1993ߝ94 11.0 1994ߝ95 16.0
Tablel 3: Cost of holding prisioners in police cells by police authority—1994 Police Authority Cost £ Greater Manchester 10,898,576 Merseyside 1,059,605 West Yorks 347,704 South Yorks 724,563 Humberside 232,458 Northants 9,191 Lancashire 939,767 Cumbria 13,385 Northumbria 349,517 Cheshire 38,327 Total 14,613,093 Total does not include £166,603 in respect of invoices awaiting approval.
§ Ms MowlamTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the cost of holding prisoners in police cells (a) per night and (b) in total, over the last 12 months. [33477]
§ Miss WiddecombeResponsibility 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 Derek Lewis to Ms Marjorie Mowlam, dated 17 July 1995:
The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about the cost of holding prisoners in police cells (a) per night and (b) in total, over the last 12 months, by police force area.Currently available provisional information is given in the table attached.933W
Table showing average cost of holding prisoners in police cells per prisoner night and the total cost from 1 June 1994 up to, and including, 15 June 1995 by police force area Police force area Average cost per prisoner night £ Total cost £ Greater Manchester 277 11,807,172 South Yorkshire2 1,746 75,088 Lancashire 244 400,914 North Wales2 1,272 25,443 Merseyside 251 116,907 West Yorkshire Figures not available1 Cheshire Figures not available1 1 These areas have not yet submitted any invoices. 2 The comparatively high average cost in these areas is caused by the fact that they only hold small numbers of prisoners on a sporadic basis.