§ Mr. Brothertonasked the Secretary o! State for the Home Department (1) if he will give an estimate of the weekly cost to public funds of keeping a woman in prison in each year since 1970;
(2) if he will give an estimate of the weekly cost to public funds of keeping a man in prison in each year since 1970.
§ Dr. SummerskillInformation is not readily available in the precise form requested.
The average weekly cost of keeping an adult male in prison in England and Wales was £34 in 1972–73, £41 in 1973–74 and £58 in 1974–75. Costs in female prisons are not separately recorded, but the average weekly cost in penal establishments for women and girls was £47 in 1972–73, £53 in 1973–74 and £74 in 1974–75. Separate figures are not available for 1969–70, 1970–71 and 1971–72 when the average weekly costs of keeping males and females in prisons and remand centres were £22, £24 and £30 respectively.
It is not possible to give a realistic estimate of other costs to the Exchequer—for example the payment of supplementary benefit to a prisoner's wife, which may be related directly to the circumstances of imprisonment.