HC Deb 28 February 1997 vol 291 cc435-6W
Mr. George Howarth

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners gave birth in each year since 1992(a) by the prison in which each woman was held immediately prior to giving birth and (b) in total. [17498]

Miss Widdecombe

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 Richard Tilt to Mr. George Howarth, dated 28 February 1997: The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about the number of women prisoners who have given birth each year since 1992. Information collected about births was not recorded by individual prison establishment before 1994–95. The tables attached summarise the numbers of babies born to women prisoners (a) in each year since 1994 by individual prisons and (b) in each year since 1991–92 in total.

Table 1: Number of babies born to women prisoners by prison
Prison 1994–95 1995–96
Askham Grange 13 112
Holloway 31 32
Low Newton 1 1
New Hall 2 7
Risley 5 4
Styal 11 8
Total 63 64
1 Includes a set of twins.
Table 2: Number of babies born to women prisoners in total
Number
1991–92 56
1992–93 29
1993–94 56
1994–95 63
1995–96 64

Mr. Howarth

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners gave birth in each year since 1992 while in prison; and in which establishments these births occurred. [17499]

Miss Widdecombe

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 Richard Tilt to Mr. George Howarth, dated 28 February 1997: The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about the number of women prisoners who have given birth while in prison in each year since 1992. It is very rare for a woman prisoner to give birth in prison. The normal practice is to move the prisoner to a National Health Service hospital when she is in labour. The most recent case of a woman giving birth in prison was at Risley prison on 23 February 1997 and prior to that at Styal prison in 1993.