Prison Accommodation

(asked on 16th December 2015) - View Source

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate he has made of the number of prison cells reckoned as (a) certified normal and (b) operational capacity accommodation in each of the next five years.


Answered by
Andrew Selous Portrait
Andrew Selous
Second Church Estates Commissioner
This question was answered on 6th January 2016

The Ministry of Justice annually publishes prison population projections annually as a national statistic. The most recent projections were published on 26th of November 2015 and can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/480031/prison-population-projections-2015-2021.pdf


We will always ensure there are enough prison places for those who are sentenced to custody by the courts. Decisions on the number of places required will depend on population trends and projections over the coming years.


The decision to close a prison is made by ministers, taking into account a range of factors. After the announcement of a closure, the Ministry of Justice will work with stakeholders to ensure that we manage the local impact of a prison closure.

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