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Police Custody

Volume 487: debated on Monday 9 February 2009

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many police station cells in England were closed for health and safety reasons in each of the last five years, broken down by (a) location and (b) police authority; how many are scheduled for closure; and how many are under review; (254144)

(2) what timescale has been estimated for closure of all police station cells which have been classed as unsuitable to house detainees on health and safety grounds;

(3) whether police authorities have access to additional grant funding to cover the cost of providing replacement police cells for those closed on health and safety grounds;

(4) what police cell closures have taken place in the Central Division of Cambridgeshire constabulary in each of the last five years; and what cell provision is planned.

The management of the police estate and allocation of resources are matters for each police authority and chief constable, who are responsible for assessing local needs.