§ Mr. George HowarthTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the answer to the hon. and learned Member for Montgomery (Mr. Carlile) of 29 April,Official Report, column 399, on the prison population, if he will list the number of prisoners held (a) in prison and (b) in police cells, on the last day of each of the last 24 months. [28347]
§ Miss WiddecombeResponsibility for this matter has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Serivces, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter from A. J. Butler to Mr. George Howarth, dated 13 May 1996:
The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your recent Question asking pursuant to the Answer to the honourable Member for Montgomery of 29 April on the prison population, if he will list the number of prisoners held (a) in prison and (b) in police cells, on the last day of each of the last day of each of the last 24 months.
The requested information is given in the attached table.
313W
Population in Prison Service establishments and police cells in England and Wales on the last day of the month, April 1994–April 1996 Date In Prison Service establishments Police cells Total 1994 April 47,719 224 47,943 May 48,532 143 48,675 June 48,879 50 48,929 July 49,095 74 49,169 August 49,194 198 49,392 September 49,554 258 49,812 October 49,710 141 49,851 November 50,427 138 50,565 December 47,550 61 47,611 1995 January 49,408 134 49,542 February 50,40 162 50,571 March 51,220 374 51,594 April 50,559 228 50,787 May 50,516 127 50,643 June 51,084 — 51,084 July 51,279 — 51,279 August 51,265 — 51,265 September 51,286 — 51,286 October 52,027 — 52,027 November 52,540 — 52,540 December 49,949 — 49,949
Population in prison Service establishments and police cells in England and Wales on the last day of the month, April 1994–April 1996 Date In Prison Service establishments Police cells Total 1996 January 51,947 — 51,947 February 53,178 — 53,178 March 53,740 — 53,740 April1 54,211 — 54,211 1 Provisional figures.
§ Mr. HowarthTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the answer given to the hon. and learned Member for Montgomery (Mr. Carlile) on 29 April,Official Report, column 399, on the prison population, when he expects to receive the Home Office feasibility study on the super-max prison; when he expects its publication; and when a decision will be announced on whether to commission such a prison. [28349]
§ Miss WiddecombeThe Prison Service submitted to Ministers its report examining the feasibility, costs and benefits of building a maximum security prison to house the most dangerous prisoners in the system and a control prison to hold the most unruly and disruptive prisoners, on 30 April. No decisions have yet been made on publications, timing or whether, and if so how, this project should proceed.