HC Deb 04 April 1995 vol 257 cc1017-9W
Mrs. Roche

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many women who are currently imprisoned have their babies with them in prison. [18007]

Mr. Michael Forsyth

Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

Letter from Derek Lewis to Mrs. Barbara Roche, dated 4 April 1995: The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about how many women who are currently imprisoned have their babies with them in prison. On 31 March 1994 51 women had their babies with them in the three prison mother and baby units.

Mr. Madden

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if the rules applying at Her Majesty's prison Full Sutton allow prisoners and relatives to talk in(a) Irish and (b) their first language; [17663]

(2) what rules apply in Her Majesty's prisons in the United Kingdom about prisoners, whose first language is not English, being allowed to converse in their first language with visitors. [17666]

Mr. Michael Forsyth

[holding answer 3 April 1995]: Responsibility for these matters has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

Letter from Derek Lewis to Mr. Max Madden, dated 4 April 1995: The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Questions about the rules which apply to prisoners, whose first language is not English, being allowed to converse in their first language with visitors and if the rules applying at Full Sutton Prison allow prisoners and relatives to talk in Irish and their first language. Under the provisions of Prison Service Standing Order 5, which applies to all prisons in England and Wales, prisoners and their visitors may speak in the language of their choice. If it is necessary to do so for security reasons, the Standing Order provides either for communication to be in English or for an interpreter to be present or for communications to be tape recorded.

Mr. Madden

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what reports he has received about prisoners at Her Majesty's prison Whitemoor complaining about verbal and physical abuse. [17664]

Mr. Michael Forsyth

[holding answer 3 April 1995]: Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

Letter from Derek Lewis to Mr. Max Madden, dated 4 April 1995: The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about complaints made by prisoners of physical and verbal abuse. Prisoners make allegations about verbal or physical abuse from time to time in many prison establishments. Depending on the nature and seriousness of the allegations these are investigated either by the police or internally within the Prison Service, and where they are substantiated, appropriate action is taken.

Mrs. Roche

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Nottingham, South (Mr. Simpson) on 15 March,Official Report, column 573, in which adult female Prison Service establishment the females under 18 years of age were being held. [18003]

Mr. Michael Forsyth

[holding answer 3 April 1995]: Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

Letter from Derek Lewis to Mrs. Barbara Roche, dated 4 April 1995: The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question (following my answer to the honourable member for Nottingham South of 15 March, Official Report, column 573) in which adult female Prison Service establishments the females under 18 years of age were being held. The information requested is given in the attached table.

Females aged under 18 years held in adult female establishments on 31 January 1995, by Prison Service establishment
Establishment Number
Remand
Holloway 5
Low Newton 3
New Hall 2
Pucklechurch 2
Risley 2
Sentenced
Askham Grange 1
Holloway 5
Low Newton 5
New Hall 3
Pucklechurch 1
All establishments 29

Mrs. Roche

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many(a) women and (b) men are currently imprisoned in British prison service establishments. [18032]

Mr. Michael Forsyth

[holding answer 3 April 1995]: Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

Letter front Derek Lewis to Mrs. Barbara Roche, dated 4 April 1995: The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question asking, how many (a) women and (b) men are currently imprisoned in British prison service establishments. On 24 March 1995 there were 57,254 persons (55,068 men and 2,186 women) in prison establishments in England, Wales and Scotland.

Ms Janet Anderson

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many men served custodial sentences in each year since 1989, broken down by type of offence committed. [17207]

Mr. Michael Forsyth

Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service. who has been asked to arrange for a reply to he given.

Letter horn Derek Lewis to Ms Janet Anderson, dated 4 April 1995: The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question asking how many men served custodial sentences in each year since 1989. broken down by type of offence committed. Information for 1989 to 1992 is published in Prison Statistics England and Wales [Cm 2581. Tables 3.7 (young offenders) and 4.9 (adults) of the 1992 edition) a copy of which is in the Library of the House. Provisional information for 1993 and 1994 is contained in the attached table.

Number of men received into Prison Service custody for immediate custodial sentences in 1993 and 1994, by type of offence1
Offence group 1993 1994
Violence against the person 7,213 8,275
Sexual offences 1,882 1,888
Burglary 9,441 10,624
Robbery 3,067 2,800
Theft and handling 8,314 10,098
Fraud and forgery 1,573 1,794
Drugs offences 2,890 3,091
Other offences 11,879 15,605
Offence not recorded 3,445 4,131
All offences 49,704 58,306
1 Excluding fine defaulters.