HC Deb 17 February 1976 vol 905 cc623-4W
Mr. Freud

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the current cost of keeping a man in a British prison; and what are the comparable figures for a woman, and a youth in a community school.

Dr. Summerskill

The latest available information for England and Wales relates to the financial year 1974–75, when the average weekly cost of keeping an adult in prison was £58 for a man and £74 for a woman. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Services tells me that the average weekly cost of maintaining a child in all types of community home in England and Wales in 1974–75 was £50. This provisional figure, excludes administration costs and takes no account of parental contributions.

Separate information is not available about the cost of community homes with education on the premises—formerly approved schools.