To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice what plans her Department has to increase the capacity of prisons in England and Wales. (141805)

A new capacity-building programme which will deliver 8,000 new prison places by 2012 was announced as part of the Criminal Justice Review in July 2006.

The 8,000-place programme comes on top of already planned expansions at existing prisons.

Overall, in 2007, capacity will increase by around 2,200 places.