§ Mr. ClappisonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many women prisoners have been held in prison in England and Wales and had a child or children with them in each of the last 10 years. [69175]
§ Mr. George HowarthInformation on the average female prison population in England and Wales over the last 10 years is given in the table. This information is also published (up to 1997) in "Prison Statistics England and Wales" (table 1.4 of the 1997 edition), a copy of which is in the Library.
Information on the number of women who had a child or children with them in prison in each of the last 10 years is not collected centrally. However, on 1 February 1999, there were 51 women occupying places in the four mother and baby units within the female prison estate.
261W
Average population of females in prisons in England and Wales, 1989–1998 Year Average population 1989 1,767 1990 1,597 1991 1,561 1992 1,577 1993 1,561 1994 1,811 1995 1,979 1996 2,262 1997 2,675 1998 3,105