Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate he has made of how many (a) incidents of self harm and (b) assaults on police staff by prisoners held in police cells as part of Operation Safeguard there have been in 2023.

Individual police forces offering accommodation under Operation Safeguard are responsible for the lawful custody and care of prisoners held in police accommodation. The safe and effective management of Operation Safeguard across police forces is coordinated by the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC).

Operation Safeguard is a contingency measure that provides additional headroom for use if prisoners cannot be accepted from the courts or police custody. It is a temporary measure to provide a short-term solution. When Operation Safeguard is active, tactical and operational governance reviews take place at regular intervals, as agreed with police partners.

There are no additional costs to the taxpayer and any spend under Operation Safeguard comes from within existing departmental budgets. Every aspect of Operation Safeguard – including compensation for cells – is based on agreements between HMPPS, the police and the Home Office. Spend is recorded on a cost-recovery basis.