§ Mr. ClappisonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what analysis he has made of the ethnic origin of girls sentenced to detention and training since April 2000. [147455]
§ Mr. BoatengEighty-nine girls were received into custody under detention and training orders in their first three months, April to June 2000. One was Asian, four were black, five were of mixed race, 76 were white and three were of other ethnic origin.
§ Mr. ClappisonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many incidents of self-harm have taken place among(a) females, (b) females under 21 and (c) females under 18 serving custodial sentences in each year since 1995, broken down by establishment in which the incidents occurred. [147469]
§ Mr. BoatengFigures for self-harm incidents for all female prisoners held in establishments designated as prisons for women since 1994–95 are given in the table. They are given by financial year so as to include the most up to date figures available. Those for the period since March 2000 are being collated and should be available in May. I regret that these self-harm figures are not available for female prisoners by age.
Previous projects include research into the institutional factors of self-harm at Bullwood Hall prison; the management and recording of suicidal behaviour at Styal prison; and the management of self-harm, characteristics of those who self-harm, and evaluation of intervention effectiveness at Holloway prison. Current projects include a study of women life sentence prisoners and suicidal behaviour at Highpoint prison. All generic studies of self-inflicted deaths include women prisoners.
All research is evaluated so that it informs and contributes to the development of suicide and self-harm prevention policies and practices.
§ Mr. ClappisonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the 207W factors underlying the recent increase in the number of women sentenced to imprisonment. [147457]
§ Mr. BoatengThe number of women prisoners increased by 100 per cent. from 1993 to 1998, compared with a 45 per cent. increase in the number of men. The increase is due to more women going through the courts, and more women getting custodial sentences and for longer periods. In 1999, 70,800 women were proceeded against for indictable offences compared with 68,500 in 1998. Since 1997 the custody rate for women has increased by just over a quarter compared with a 9 per cent. increase for men. In the last five years, 50 per cent. of the rise is due to more women being convicted of drugs offences.
§ Mr. ClappisonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he plans to remove 15 and 16-year-old girls from the prison system. [147456]
§ Mr. BoatengIn March 2000, 40 of the 130 girls sentenced and remanded to custody were held outside the Prison Service. Following the Government's changes to the sentencing, remand and placement arrangements last year this total has increased to 60. We aim to increase it further but as the total of girls in custody is rising we cannot set a date for removing 15 and 16-year-olds completely from Prison Service accommodation.