Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many cells across the prison estate are vacant awaiting maintenance work before they can be occupied by prisoners.

Prison capacity is taken out of use both temporarily and on a longer-term basis for a number of reasons. Owing to current pressure on prison capacity, all non-essential maintenance has been stopped to ensure that all cells that can be used are used. Only essential maintenance that is required to meet statutory obligations (e.g. fire safety standards) or to keep accommodation in use is being undertaken.

As of 31 August 2026, 3,364 places were out of use for maintenance-related reasons, where work is either planned to take place or is in the process of being completed.