HC Deb 03 November 1999 vol 337 cc196-7W
Mr. Alan Campbell

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the number of prisoners in United Kingdom jails by category; what is the average proportion of sentence served in each category, and what is the average annual cost of keeping a prisoner in each category. [96869]

Mr. Boateng

Female prisoners, remand prisoners and recently sentenced prisoners are not allocated to a security category. The centrally available information on the numbers of prisoners in each security category and the average proportion of sentence served by category on release of prisoners released in 1998 is given in the tables. The cost per place by type of establishment is in the Prison Service Annual Report and Accounts for April 1998 to March 1999, a copy of which is available in the Library, and is given in the tables.

Information about prisons and prisoners in Scotland and Northern Ireland is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland respectively.

Numbers of prisoners in England and Wales in security categories A-D
Category Number
Category A 660
Category B 7,400
Category C 26,330
Category D 14,920
1 On 30 September 1999

Note:

Females, remand prisoners and recently sentenced prisoners are not categorised.

Average proportion of sentence served by category on release for prisoners in England and Wales released during 1998
Category Percentage
Category A 65
Category B 56
Category C 54
Category D 44

Note:

Females, remand prisoners and recently sentenced prisoners are not categorised.

Cost per place by type of establishment for prisons in England and Wales
Type of establishment Cost per place (£)
Female Closed 27,966
Female Local 27,426
Female Open 16,995
Category B 21,079
Category C 17,543
Dispersals 34,383
Male Local 24,604
Male Open 14,505
Male Remand Centres 23,644
Male Closed Young Offender Institutions 18,885
Male Open Young Offender Institutions 18,650
Male Under 18s 26,113
Overall Average 22,649

Note:

Establishments are categorised in the table by their main role only. Establishments that have more than one role have been placed in the category that represents the primary or predominant function of the prison.