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Mr. Newens
asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish a list of the annual number of deaths of prisoners in police custody for each police district over the course of the last 10 years, indicating in each case the number who were deemed to have died from natural causes.
Mr. Brittan
The figures are as follows:
| DEATHS IN POLICE CUSTODY 1970–79 | ||||
| ENGLAND AND WALES 1970 | ||||
| Force | Inquest Verdict Natural Causes | Total Deaths | ||
| Merseyside | … | … | — | 2 |
| West Yorkshire | … | … | 1 | 2 |
| Metropolitan | … | … | 2 | 3 |
| TOTAL | … | … | 3 | 7 |
| 1971 | |||
| Force | Inquest Verdict Natural Causes | Total Deaths | |
| Avon and Somerset | … | — | 1 |
| Dorset | … | — | 1 |
| Greater Manchester | … | 1 | 1 |
| Kent | … | — | 1 |
| Merseyside | … | 1 | 2 |
| Northumbria | … | — | 1 |
| South Wales | … | — | 1 |
| Suffolk | … | — | 1 |
| Surrey | … | — | 1 |
| West Midlands | … | 1 | 2 |
| Metropolitan | … | 1 | 5 |
| TOTAL | … | 4 | 17 |
| 1972 | |||
| Force | Inquest Verdict Natural Causes | Total Deaths | |
| Devon and Cornwall | … | — | 1 |
| Gloucestershire | … | — | 1 |
| Hampshire | … | — | 1 |
| Hertfordshire | … | — | 1 |
| Lancashire | … | 1 | 1 |
| Merseyside | … | 1 | 1 |
| South Wales | … | — | 1 |
| West Yorkshire | … | — | 2 |
| City of London | … | — | 1 |
| Metropolitan | … | 4 | 8 |
| TOTAL | … | 6 | 18 |
| 1973 | ||||
| Force | Inquest Verdict Natural Causes | Total Deaths | ||
| Cleveland | … | … | — | 1 |
| Cumbria | … | … | — | 1 |
| Humberside | … | … | 1 | 1 |
| Merseyside | … | … | — | 1 |
| North Yorkshire | … | … | 1 | 1 |
| Nottinghamshire | … | … | 1 | 1 |
| West Midlands | … | … | 1 | 1 |
| West Yorkshire | … | … | — | 2 |
| Metropolitan | … | … | 6 | 11 |
| TOTAL | … | … | 10 | 20 |
| 1974 | |||
| Force | Inquest Verdict Natural Causes | Total Deaths | |
| Avon and Somerset | … | — | 1 |
| Bedfordshire | … | — | 1 |
| Cheshire | … | — | 1 |
| Cleveland | … | — | 1 |
| Devon and Cornwall | … | — | 1 |
| Dyfed Powys | … | — | 1 |
| Greater Manchester | … | 2 | 2 |
| Lincolnshire | … | — | 1 |
| South Wales | … | — | 1 |
| Thames Valley | … | — | 1 |
| Warwickshire | … | — | 1 |
| West Mercia | … | — | 1 |
| West Midlands | … | — | 1 |
| City of London | … | — | 1 |
| Metropolitan | … | 7 | 12 |
| TOTAL | … | 9 | 27 |
| 1975 | |||
| Force | Inquest Verdict Natural Causes | Total Deaths | |
| Avon and Somerset | … | — | 1 |
| Dorset | … | — | 1 |
| Greater Manchester | … | — | 1 |
| Hampshire | … | — | 1 |
| Humberside | … | — | 1 |
| Kent | … | — | 1 |
| Lancashire | … | — | 1 |
| Merseyside | … | — | 1 |
| Norfolk | … | — | 1 |
| Northants | … | — | 1 |
| North Wales | … | — | 1 |
| South Wales | … | 1 | 3 |
| Staffs | … | — | 1 |
| Sussex | … | — | 1 |
| West Midlands | … | 1 | 2 |
| West Yorkshire | … | — | 2 |
| Metropolitan | … | 6 | 17 |
| TOTAL | … | 8 | 37 |
| 1976 | |||
| Force | Inquest Verdict Natural Causes | Total Deaths | |
| Bedfordshire | … | 1 | 1 |
| Essex | … | — | 1 |
| Greater Manchester | … | 1 | 3 |
| Leicestershire | … | 1 | 1 |
| Merseyside | … | — | 2 |
| North Yorkshire | … | — | 1 |
| South Wales | … | — | 2 |
| West Yorkshire | … | 1 | 1 |
| Metropolitan | … | 2 | 12 |
| TOTAL | … | 6 | 24 |
| 1977 | |||
| Force | Inquest Verdict Natural Causes | Total Deaths | |
| Avon and Somerset | … | 1 | 1 |
| Cheshire | … | — | 2 |
| Cleveland | … | — | 1 |
| Devon and Cornwall | … | — | 1 |
| Greater Manchester | … | — | 1 |
| Gwent | … | — | 1 |
| Hertfordshire | … | — | 1 |
| Kent | … | — | 1 |
| Lancashire | … | — | 1 |
| Merseyside | … | 1 | 3 |
| Northumbria | … | — | 3 |
| North Wales | … | — | 1 |
| North Yorkshire | … | — | 1 |
| West Midlands | … | 3 | 5 |
| Metropolitan | … | 3 | 8 |
| TOTAL | … | 8 | 31 |
| 1978 | |||
| Force | Inquest Verdict Natural Causes | Total Deaths | |
| Bedfordshire | … | — | 1 |
| Cheshire | … | — | 1 |
| Derbyshire | … | — | 1 |
| Gloucestershire | … | — | 1 |
| Greater Manchester | … | — | 2 |
| Hampshire | … | — | 1 |
| Humberside | … | — | 2 |
| Kent | … | — | 1 |
| Merseyside | … | — | 1 |
| Northumbria | … | — | 2 |
| North Wales | … | 1 | 1 |
| North yorkshire | … | — | 1 |
| Nottinghamshire | … | 1 | 1 |
| South Wales | … | 1 | 3 |
| South yorkshire | … | 1 | 1 |
| Surrey | … | 1 | 1 |
| Sussex | … | — | 2 |
| Warwicks | … | — | 1 |
| West Yorkshire | … | 2 | 4 |
| Metropolitan | … | 3 | 20 |
| TOTAL | … | 10 | 48 |
| 1979(1 JANUARY-30 JUNE) | |||
| Force | Inquest Verdict Natural Causes | Total Deaths | |
| Avon and Somerset | … | — | 1 |
| Devon and Cornwall | … | — | 1 |
| Durham | … | — | 1 |
| Greater Manchester | … | — | 1 |
| Lancashire | … | — | 1 |
| Merseyside | … | — | 1 |
| Sussex | … | — | 1 |
| Thames Valley | … | — | 2 |
| West Yorkshire | … | — | 1 |
| Metropolitan | … | 2 | 6 |
| TOTAL | … | 2 | 16 |
Notes:
( a) Figures include deaths in hospital while person concerned was technically in police custody, and persons dead on arrival in hospital.
( b) In 23 cases during the nine and a half year period no inquest was held, and in one case (James Kelly) the inquest at present stands adjourned.