Sadiq Khan MP, Labour’s Shadow Justice Secretary, commenting on the ongoing crisis in the prisons system, said:

“This is an illustration of just how much David Cameron’s prisons policy is failing, and what they’ll do to hide their embarrassment. The severe shortage of space in our prisons system continues to be a massive problem. This is the sixth week in a row the population has risen putting massive pressure on space, yet Ministers continue their silence on where prisoners will be locked up if this upward trend continues.

“The Government have refused to officially implement Operation Safeguard, despite the system operating beyond the 99% figure which should trigger it. However, figures this week revealed the Government has resorted to keeping prisoners in police cells because of a shortage of space, which is Operation Safeguard by any other name.”