§ Ms. Harmanasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will state (a) how many women were in custody with their children on the most recent convenient date, (b) in which prisons these women with their children were held, (c) what were the ages of the children and (d) for what offences these mothers had been imprisoned.
§ Mr. Mellor[pursuant to his reply, 13 January 1987]: On 12 January, 24 women had their babies with them in prison mother and baby units, at Askham Grange, Holloway and Styal.
The ages of the babies were: 338W
- Under one month, 7
- Aged 2 months, 1
- Aged 3 months, 4
- Aged 5 months, 1
- Aged 6 months, 2
- Aged 7 months, 4
- Aged 9 months, 3
- Aged 11 months, 1
- Aged 13 months, 1
One woman was a remand prisoner. Of the other 23, four had been convicted of drugs charges, four for deception and three for robbery. The offences of the remaining 12 were robbery and actual bodily harm; trespass and theft; burglary and robbery; handling stolen goods; forgery and conspiracy; forgery, fraud, deception and handling stolen goods; burglary and arson; conspiracy to rob; attempted arson; theft; shoplifting; and actual bodily harm and blackmail.