Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many deaths occurred in police custody suites in the last 12 months; and who managed the suites in which those deaths occurred.

Annual statistics on deaths during or following police contact are published by the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC). The latest statistics, which were published on 26 July 2016, show that there were 14 deaths in police custody across England and Wales over the 2015/16 period. The number is down from 17 deaths the previous year.

The Department does not hold information on the management of police custody suites, which is a matter for chief officers.

See link to IPCC publication for full details.

https://www.ipcc.gov.uk/sites/default/files/Documents/research_stats/Deaths_Report_1516.pdf