§ 9. Sir David KnoxTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were in prison at the most recent count.
§ Mr. HowardOn Tuesday 7 March 1995 a total of 50,804 Prison Service prisoners were in custody in England and Wales.
§ Sir David KnoxWhy is it necessary to lock up more people in prison in this country than in most other west European countries? Is not there a cheaper and more effective form of punishment for at least some of the people who end up in prison?
§ Mr. HowardI advise my hon. Friend to view comparisons with other European Union countries with great caution. The latest figures available to me show that the number of prisoners per 100,000 population is higher in Spain, Portugal and Austria; the same as this country in Italy; and nearly the same in France.
§ Dr. Lynne JonesIs the Home Secretary concerned about the large increase in the number of women sent to prison, which has increased 40 per cent. in the past two years? Many of them are fine defaulters. Will the right hon. and learned Gentleman consider giving magistrates the same option as their counterparts in Scotland to issue supervised attendance orders to fine defaulters?
§ Mr. HowardCourts have a wide range of sentences at their disposal, and they decide which sentence is appropriate in any particular case.