Police Custody

Grant Shapps
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners were held in custody suites in each year since 2000.

Mr. Sutcliffe
Prisoners have been held in police cells during 2002, 2006 and 2007.

Between 11 July and 20 December 2002 prisoners were held in police cells under Operation Safeguard on a total of 28,650 occasions.

Between 12 October and 22 December 2006 police custody under Operation Safeguard was used on 4,617 occasions.

Operation Safeguard was reactivated on 22 January 2007. Between 22 January and 9 March it was used on 4,861 occasions.