§ Miss WiddecombeTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has for improving the management of longer-term and life-sentence female prisoners; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Douglas HoggThe policy for the management of female longer-term and life-sentenced inmates has been reviewed recently. It is now intended to increase the number of establishments which cater for these inmates, other than those in category A. The result of the new policy will be that female prisoners serving life or long sentences can be allocated to prisons closer to their homes and a wider variety of regimes can be offered. In addition to those prisons which currently cater for life-sentenced inmates, four more will take these prisoners in future. They are the closed prisons at New Hall in Yorkshire and Bullwood Hall in Essex, and the open prisons at Drake Hall in Staffordshire and East Sutton Park in Kent. I have written to the hon. Members concerned.