HC Deb 22 January 1996 vol 270 cc68-70W
Mr. Alex Carlile

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of remand prisoners in England and Wales were(a) male and (b) female for each of the last 10 years. [9874]

Miss Widdecombe

[holding answer 18 January 1996]: Responsibility 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 A. J. Pearson to Mr. Alex Carlile, dated 22 January 1996: The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your recent Question asking, what percentages of remand prisoners in England and Wales were (a) male and (b) female for each of the last 10 years. The information requested is given in the attached table.

Percentages of male and female remand prisoners1 in prison service establishments2 in England and Wales, 1984 to 1994
Year Percentages of remand prisoners All remand prisoners3
Male Female
1984 95.9 4.1 8,741
1985 96.0 4.0 9,742
1986 95.7 4.3 10,081
1987 95.8 4.2 11,162
1988 95.6 4.4 11,440
1989 95.6 4.4 10,499
1990 96.1 3.9 9,905
1991 96.2 3.8 10,157
1992 96.2 3.8 10,090
1993 96.3 3.7 10,662
1994 96.0 4.0 12,357
1 Remand prisoners covers both untried and convicted unsentenced prisoners.
2Excludes those held in police cells.
3Average population.

Mr. Alex Carlile

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many remand prisoners were held for over three months prior to their trial on 30 June for each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement. [9876]

Miss Widdecombe

[holding answer 18 January 1996]: Responsibility 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 A. J. Pearson to Mr. Alex Carlile, dated 22 January 1996: The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your recent Question asking how many remand prisoners were held for over three months before their trial on 30 June for each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement. Information for 1994 and 1995 is given in the attached table. Information for 1985–1993 is published in "Prison statistics, England and Wales" (table 2.3 of the 1993 edition, Cm 2893), a copy of which is available in the Library of the House

Untried prisoners in Prison Service establishments in England and Wales on 30 June 1994 and 1995 held on remandfor over three months1
Year Number remanded for over three months
On 30 June
1994 3,500
1995 23,000
1 Untried prisoners awaiting trial. Time since first reception on remand into a Prison Service establishment. This includes any intervening time spent on bail, but excludes any time spent in police cells beforehand.
2 Rounded provisional estimate.

Mr. Alex Carlile

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the estimated time spent in custody for untried prisoners in gaols in England and Wales for each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement. [9877]

Miss Widdecombe

[holding answer 18 January 1996]: Responsibility 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 A. J. Pearson to Mr. Alex Carlile, dated 22 January 1996: The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your recent Question asking, what was the estimated time spent in custody for untried prisoners in England and Wales for each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement. Information for 1994 is given in the attached table. Information for 1984 to 1993 is published in "Prison statistics, England and Wales" (table 2.1 of the 1993 edition, Cm 2893), a copy of which is available in the Library of the House.

Average time spent in custody for untried prisoners in prison service establishments in England and Wales in 19941 by sex
Type of custody Average number of days in custody3
Male Female
Untried2 59 44
1 Provisional figures.2 Time spent in custody before conviction.
3Calculated from number of receptions and average population in 1994.

Mr. Alex Carlile

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the remand population in England and Wales on 30 June for each of the last 10 years and up to the latest period for which figures are available; how many were aged under 21 years for each of those years; and if he will make a statement. [9878]

Miss Widdecombe

[holding answer 18 January 1996]: Responsibility 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 A. J. Pearson to Mr. Alex Carlile, dated 22 January 1996: The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your recent Question asking, what was the remand population in England and Wales on 30th June for each of the last 10 years and up to the latest period for which figures are available and how many were aged under 21 years for each of those years. The information requested is given in the attached table.

Prisoners held on remand1 in prison service establishments2 in England and Wales, 30 June 1985 to 1995
Aged under 21 Aged 21 and over Total Remand
30 June 1985 3,185 6,754 9,939
30 June 1986 3,149 6,816 9,965
30 June 1987 3,416 7,253 10,669
30 June 1988 3,344 7,469 10,813
30 June 1989 3,186 7,078 10,264
30 June 1990 2,754 6,359 9,113
30 June 1991 2,791 6,472 9,263
30 June 1992 2,724 6,835 9,559
30 June 1993 2,795 7,837 10,632
30 May 1994 3,063 9,430 12,493
30 June 1995 2,728 8,328 11,056
30 November
1995 2,796 8,588 11,384
1 Remand covers both untried and convicted unsentenced prisoners.2 Excludes those held in police cells.