Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate he has made of the number and proportion of prison cells out of commission because of poor maintenance (a) on 24 October 2019, (b) in October 2018, (c) in October 2015 and (d) in October 2010.

Routinely, the MoJ monitors capacity via prisoner places, rather than prison cells. This is to account for the variation in the type and size of cells across the estate.

As of October 2019 approximately 760 cells, against a Certified Normal Accommodation figure of 78,989, were identified as out of use across the estate as a result of maintenance, including reactive maintenance, planned maintenance projects, security concerns or as a result of vandalism.

Changes in the way data is collated in recent years means we cannot offer figures for 2010, 2015 and 2018.

This government has invested an additional £156m in 2020/21 to improve the conditions of existing prisons across the estate and underpin our commitment to a system that is decent, safe and secure.