§ 53. Mrs. Lena Jegerasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are the results of his consideration of the effect on young children of separation arising from the imprisonment of their mothers.
§ Mr. Roy JenkinsIt is generally accepted that if the relationship between a young child and his mother is a normal one, separation involves a serious risk to the child's development. This is one of the considerations that courts would clearly wish to take into account before deciding on sentence.
§ 54. Mrs. Lena Jegerasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department 171W how many mothers of children under five years of age are in prison at the present time.
§ Mr. Roy JenkinsI regret that this information is not available.
§ Mrs. Lena Jegerasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department at what age babies born to mothers serving a term of imprisonment are separated from their mothers and what studies are being coordinated about the subsequent effects.
§ Mr. Roy JenkinsA review of each case is made when a child attains the age of nine months, and a mother is usually allowed to keep her child if she is in an open prison or is due to be released shortly. It is rarely possible for a mother to keep her child in prison beyond the age of eighteen months as adequate arrangements for its care and supervision cannot then be made. As regards the last part of my hon. Friend's Question, I would refer her to my Answer to her earlier Question today.