§ LORD AVEBURYasked Her Majesty's Government:
What was the number of women given custodial sentences, or held in prison following non-payment of a fine, following conviction under Section 1 of the Street Offences Act 1959 during the calendar year 1979; and whether they will give a breakdown showing the number of women given one, two ond three month sentences respectively.
§ The PARLIAMENTARY UNDERSECRETARY of STATE, HOME OFFICE (Lord Belstead)The sentences given by magistrates' courts for principal offences of loitering or soliciting for the purposes of prostitution are published annually inCriminal Statistics, England and Wales (Tables 1(a) and 2—offence classification 166—of the volume for 1978, Cmnd. 7670). In addition, nine females were sentenced at the Crown Court in 1978 after committal for sentence under Section 28 of the Magistrates' Courts Act 1952; two were sentenced to immediate imprisonment of three months or less, three were given a suspended sentence and four were sentenced to borstal training. Figures for 1979 are not yet available. Separate information is not available on the women received into prison following non-payment of a fine for this offence; the available information is given in the following table: 1094WA
FEMALES RECEIVED INTO PRISON IN DEFAULT OF PAYMENT OF A FINE FOR OFFENCES RELATING TO PROSTITUTION(1): BY LENGTH OF SENTENCE Length of sentence Number of persons Up to and including 1 month 84 Over 1 month up to and including 2 months 3 Over 2 months up to and including 3 months 3 Over 3 months — Total 90 (1)Includes soliciting and brothel keeping.