Dear Mr Manderson

Freedom of Information Act 2000

Thank you for your email of 4 June in which you ask for:

“The maximum number of places HM Prison(s) could deal with safely in 2005, 2006 and 2007. And how many of these places were occupied.”

Your request has been handled in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

I believe your request to be about the capacity of Inmate places that H M Prison Service deemed safe to make available during 2005, 2006 and 2007. This information is already reasonably accessible to you. It can be accessed on the Prison Service website available at:

http://www.hmprisonservice.gov.uk/resourcecentre/publicationsdocuments/index.asp?cat=85

Section 21 of the Freedom of Information Act exempts the Ministry of Justice from complying with the duty to supply you with this information on the grounds that it is already in the public domain. Should you have difficulties in accessing this information by the means listed above or you wish to clarify your information request please do not hesitate to contact me again.

I trust this is satisfactory but if you are dissatisfied with this response you may request an independent internal review of our handling of your request by submitting your complaint to the address above and quote reference 9284

During the independent review the department's handling of your information request will be reassessed by staff who were not involved in providing you with this response. Should you remain dissatisfied after this internal review, you will have a right of complaint to the Information Commissioner as established by section 50 of the Freedom of Information Act.

Please get in touch within 40 working days if you would like us to review the case, if you are not happy with the decision.

Yours sincerely,

Adrian Lea

Open Government Unit