asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) men and (b) women have died in custody so far in 1978; what was the age and offence of each; when they died; and what was the cause of death.

The deaths of 47 male and four female prisoners have been reported by prison department establishments this year to date. Four died in January, four in February, five in March, seven in April, four in May, five in June, 10 in July, five in August, four in September, one in October, and