HC Deb 01 May 1995 vol 259 cc90-2W
Mrs. Roche

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officer hours were used to police the imprisonment of prisoners in police cells in(a) 1979, (b) 1985, (c) 1990 and (d) the last year for which figures are available. [21269]

Mr. Michael Forsyth

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 Richard Tilt to Mrs. Barbara Roche, dated 1 May 1995: The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your recent Question about police officer hours used to police the imprisonment of prisoners in police cells in (a) 1979, (b) 1985, (c) 1990 and (d) the last year for which figures are available. The information is not recorded centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Mrs. Roche

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the total cost to the public purse of keeping prisoners in police cells(a) in London and (b) elsewhere in England and Wales for each of the last 15 years. [21606]

Mr. Michael Forsyth

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 Richard Tilt to Mrs. Barbara Roche, dated 1 May 1995: The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your recent Question about the cost of keeping prisoners in police cells in London and elsewhere in England and Wales for each of the last 15 years. No expenditure on the use of police cells was incurred before 1981–82. Separate figures for costs incurred in holding prisoners in police cells in the Metropolitan Police District are not available. The information for England and Wales, including London, is contained in the attached table.

Total annual expenditure on use of police cells (England and Wales) from 1981–82 to 1994–95
Years £ millions
1981–82 0.002
1982–83 3.4
1983–84 10.08
1984–85 3.4
1985–86 2.2
1986–87 6.2
1987–88 24.9
1988–89 64.9
1989–90 12.4

Total annual expenditure on use of police cells (England and Wales) from 1981–82 to 1994–95
Years £ millions
1990–91 53.1
1991–92 94
1992–93 98.5
1993–94 11
1994–95' 16
1 provisional

Mrs. Roche

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which police stations in London have accommodated prisoners in their cells in the last year; how many prisoners each has accommodated; and what proportion of officers' time in each police station was devoted to prisoners. [21603]

Mr. Michael Forsyth

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 Richard Tilt to Mrs. Barbara Roche, dated 1 May 1995: The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your recent Question about which police stations in London have accommodated prisoners in their cells in the last year; how many prisoners each has accommodated and what proportion of officers' time in each police station was devoted to prisoners. No Prison Service prisoners have been accommodated in police cells in the Metropolitan Police District in the last year.

Mrs. Roche

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the maximum length of days spent by a prisoner in police cells during the last year for which figures are available(a) in London and (b) elsewhere. [21604]

Mr. Michael Forsyth

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 Richard Tilt to Mrs. Barbara Roche, dated 1 May 1995: The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your recent Question about the maximum length of days spent by a prisoner in police cells during the last year for which figures are available (a) in London and (b) elsewhere. This information is not collected centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. No Prison Service prisoners were held in police cells in the Metropolitan Police District in 1994.

Mrs. Roche

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of prisoner nights have been spent in police cells(a) in London and (b) elsewhere in England and Wales for each of the last 15 years. [21605]

Mr. Michael Forsyth

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 Richard Tilt to Mrs. Barbara Roche, dated 1 May 1995: The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General, from the office, to reply to your recent Question about what proportion of prisoner nights have been spent in police cells in London and elsewhere In England and Wales for each of the last 15 years. Figures for the average number of prisoners held in police cells, including London, for each year since 1989 to date are given in the attached table. Separate figures for the Metropolitan Police District are not available.

Average Number of Prisoners Held in Police Cells in England and Wales: 1980–1995 (26 April 1995)
Year Number
1980 645
1981 125
1982 47
1983 310
1984 54
1985 45
1986 119
1987 537
1988 978
1989 111
1990 661
1991 1,088
1992 1,095
1993 14
1994 173
19951 227
1 To 26 April 1995

Mrs. Roche

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the average number of consecutive nights spent by a prisoner in a police cell in(a) 1979, (b) 1985, (c) 1990 and (d) the last year for which figures are available. [21708]

Mr. Michael Forsyth

Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service, who has asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

Letter from Richard Tilt to Mrs. Barbara Roche, dated I May 1995: The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General, from the office, to reply to your recent Question about the average number of consecutive nights spent by a prisoner in a police cell in (a) 1979, (b) 1985, (c) 1990 and (d) the last year for which figures are available. This information is not collected centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

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