Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many new prison cells have been permanently opened since 2010 as of 7 January 2023.

The operational capacity of the prison estate is best understood by the number of places rather than number of cells, and this is how data is recorded by HMPPS.

Since 2010, approximately 10,000 permanent prison places have opened in new prisons and new houseblocks built in existing prisons, including HMP Five Wells which opened in February 2022 and when operating at full capacity will provide up to c.1700 prison places. Additionally, since 2010 around 1,000 places have changed function from holding immigration detainees in two Immigration Removal Centres, to holding prisoners in permanent prison places.