Blair on the defence in prison overcrowding crisis

13 April 2012

Tony Blair has defended his Government's record on crime after coming under fire over the desperate state of Britain's overcrowded jails.

During a heated exchange at Prime Minister's Questions, Tory leader David Cameron alluded to news that Home Secretary John Reid has asked Judges and magistrates to jail only dangerous and persistent criminals in an attempt to cut the country's 80,000-strong jail population.

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Mr Blair said: "There will be 2,000 more prison places in UK by end of the year and a further 8,000 to come as a result of investment.

"The only way to deal with this problems is to build more prison places and to ensure dangerous offenders remain behind bars. There are 2,000 prisoners serving indeterminate sentences for violent and sexual offenses and we now have extra police and community officers. Crime has fallen under Labour. It doubled under the Tories."

Cameron also pressed the Prime Minister on reports that the Home Office is to be split in two.

Home Secretary John Reid has proposed establishing separate departments - one to deal with policing, border control and counter-terrorism and a second to handle prisons and courts.

Reid's suggestion follows a string of embarrassments at his department, which he has labeled not fit for purpose".

Officials this month acknowledged they had failed to enter hundreds of criminals' files into police computers, meaning offenders convicted abroad - who may have included rapists, murderers and pedophiles - could have applied for jobs with young people or vulnerable adults.

Constitutional Affairs Secretary Lord Falconer has said that "the time might well have come" for a split and the proposal also has the backing of former Home Secretary Jack Straw.

Mr Blair said: "The future structure of the Home Office, proposed by the home secretary the review announced by the to do with security and terrorism.

Cameron hit back by comparing the "flailing" Labour government to the stranded cargo ship beached off the Devon coastline.

He said: "We?ve got weak borders and prisoners on the run and all this Government has to offer is a half-baked scheme to split the Home Office in two."

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