Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many offenders on the secure estate were held in unsuitable conditions while awaiting transfer in each of the last 10 financial years.

His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service do not hold prisoners in unsuitable physical conditions. Maintenance issues are reported locally to facilities management providers, who prioritise them for action. Cells that are deemed unsuitable for safety or decency reasons are either assessed for immediate action or, where necessary, removed from the prison’s operational capacity until restored to a suitable condition.

To ascertain whether a prisoner awaiting transfer had ever been held in conditions that could be considered unsuitable would require a detailed search of individual prisoner, prison wing, and facilities management records. In view of the large number of transfers that take place each year, the requested information could not be provided without incurring disproportionate cost.