§ Ms Janet AndersonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his current estimate of the average length of time for which remand prisoners are held prior to commencing trial. [1698]
§ 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 from Richard Tilt to Ms Janet Anderson, dated 27 November 1995:
The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question asking, what is his current estimate of the average length of time for which remand prisoners are held prior to commencing trial.The available information is for the estimated average time in custody for untried prisoners. Figures for 1994 are given in the attached table.
Estimated average time spent in custody for untried prisoners, in Prison Service establishments in England and Wales in 19941 by sex Estimated average number of days in custody3 Type of custody Male Female Untried2 59 44 1 Provisional figures. 2 Time spent in custody before conviction. 3 Estimated from number of receptions and average population in 1994.