§ Baroness Davidasked Her Majesty's Government:
How many female remand and sentenced prisoners respectively are of foreign nationality, how many female remand and sentenced prisoners respectively do not speak English, and how many female remand and sentenced prisoners who are foreign are charged with or convicted of drugs offences.
Earl FerrersThe nationality of remand prisoners and the offences with which they are charged are not recorded centrally until the completion of court proceedings. No information on their linguistic ability is collected centrally. It is estimated that, on 30th June 1988, of approximately 310 female prisoners in Prison Service establishments who were serving sentences for drugs offences, 35 were known to be of foreign nationality, other than citizens of Commonwealth countries, Pakistan and the Irish Republic. The recording of nationality for citizens of Commonwealth countries, Pakistan and the Irish Republic is not always reliable; however, about 110 of these 310 were recorded as citizens of or born in Commonwealth countries.