§ Mr. Lawrenceasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the latest assessment of the financial cost per week to the Exchequer of imprisonment of (a) a single man, (b) a married man with no children and a wife receiving social security benefits, (c) a married man with one child and a wife receiving social security benefits and (d) a married man with two children and a wife receiving social security benefits.
§ Dr. SummerskillIt is not possible to give a realistic assessment of all the costs to the Exchequer which can be related directly to the circumstances of imprisonment. It is estimated that the average cost of maintaining one prisoner during the last financial year was about £62 per week. A prisoner's wife who was not herself in full time employment would 517W be entitled to claim supplementary benefit. The standard scale rates and average rent additions for the larger part of the last financial year were as follows:
£ per week Scale Rates Rent Addition Wife 8.40 3.80 Wife and child 10.80 4.52 Wife and 2 children 13.20 4.88