§ Mr. AllanTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many(a) boys and (b) girls aged under 18 years are currently in (i) prison and (ii) young offenders' institutions following (1) sentence and (2) remand into custody; and what is the projected under 18 prison and young offender institution population on 1 January 1998. [21536]
§ Ms Quin[holding answer 18 December 1997]: The information requested about the current prison population is given in the table.
The number of male young offenders (aged under 21 years) in prison is expected to be 10,400 (7,700 sentenced, 2,700 remand) on 31 December 1997. Monthly projections are not prepared for the under-18 prison population, but during the financial year 1997–98, the population of male prisoners under 18 years is estimated to average 2,500 (1,700 sentenced, 800 remand). There is no separate projection for female young offenders.
Population of persons aged under 18 in prisons in England and Wales on 30 November 1997 by type of custody1 Type of prison Sex/type of custody Prison Young Offender Institution Male Remand 2610 153 Sentenced 88 1,568 Female Remand 9 5 Sentenced 5 67 1 Provisional figures 2 Most are held in remand facilities for young offenders only.