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Prisons: Population

My Lords, the noble Lord is completely right when he says that none of the measures that I have indicated today will change what has been a fact for a considerable time: we send more people to prison per head of population than almost every other European country. I should make it clear that the number in prison has gone up considerably since 1997, when we came to power, because we have taken a number of measures—in particular, the introduction of indeterminate sentences—to ensure that dangerous offenders remain in custody until the Parole Board says that it is safe to release them. I do not think that this is the time to consider whether that is the right or wrong policy. It broadly reflects the decisions of Parliament over a considerable period. I think that, at this stage, the main function of the prisons Minister is to ensure that there are sufficient prison places to meet the demands of the courts.