asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what is the total number of (i) male and (ii) female remand prisoners held in prison in each year since 1979 for which figures are available.

The annual average population held in Prison Department establishments in 1986 is published in tables 3 and 4 of "The Prison Population In 1986" (Home Office Statistical Bulletin Issue 6/87). Figures for earlier years are published in "Prison Statistics, England and Wales" (Table 1.4 of the latest issue, for 1985 Cmnd. 9903).