HC Deb 30 November 1992 vol 215 cc8-9W
Ms. Ruddock

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the country of origin of foreign female prisoners in British prisons.

Mr. Peter Lloyd

[holding answer 17 November 1992]: Countries of birth outside the British Isles are no longer separately identified. The only information readily available, which relates to nationality, is given in the table.

Female population1 of Prison Service establishments in England and Wales on 30 June 1992: by nationality Number of persons
Nationals of Number
Colombia 19
Ghana 12
India 10
Irish Republic 14
Jamaica 50
Netherlands 10
Nigeria 77
United Kingdom 1,053
United States of America 13
Other2 78
Nationality not recorded 200
All nationalities 1,536
1 Provisional figures.
2 With fewer than five prisoners.

Ms. Ruddock

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of foreign women prisoners are convicted for(a) drugs importation and (b) other drug related offences.

Mr. Peter Lloyd

[holding answer 17 November 1992]: Information by type of drug offence is not readily available separately for foreign women prisoners. The available information for foreign women prisoners is given in the table. Out of a total of 300 female prisoners on 30 June 1990 who had been sentenced for drugs offences, it is estimated that 250 had been sentenced for unlawful import-export.

Nationality
United Kingdom Foreign Not recorded All
Offence Number Percentage Number Percentage Number Percentage Number Percentage
All offences 810 100 221 100 144 100 1,175 100
1 Including those committed to custody in default of payment of a fine. Provisional figures.

Ms. Ruddock

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many foreign women are held(a)

Female population1 in Prison Service establishments in England and Wales on 30 June: by type of prisoner and nationality, 1989–92
Type of prisoner and nationality 1989 1990 1991 19922
Untried:
United Kingdom3 184 171
Foreign3 57 51
Not recorded3 45 44
All nationalities 378 280 286 266
Convicted unsentenced:
United Kingdom3 79 70
Foreign3 7 9
Not recorded3 15 14
All nationalities 98 77 101 93
Sentenced:4
United Kingdom 876 784 719 810
Foreign 269 291 257 221
Not recorded 134 178 172 144
All nationalities 1,279 1,253 1,148 1,175
1 Excluding two non-criminal prisoners.
2 Provisional figures.
3 Nationality was not recorded for untried and convicted unsentenced prisoners prior to 1991.
4 Including those committed to custody in default of payment of a fine.

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