HC Deb 10 July 2001 vol 371 cc467-9W
Paul Flynn

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the prison population was in each year from 1989 to 2000 inclusive; what the expected totals are for 2001 to 2005; and what percentage in all years drug offenders represent. [2391]

Beverley Hughes

The average prison population in England and Wales from 1989 to 2000, and the percentage of these totals that were sentenced drug offenders, is shown in the table.

The average prison population for 2001 to 2005 will depend on factors prevailing during those years. 'Projections of Long Term Trends in Prison Population to 2008', available in the Library, hypothesises time scenarios. The projected figures from the middle scenarios have been included in the table. However, the percentages that are expected to be drug offences are not available.

Year Prison population on 30 June Percentage of total serving sentences for drug offences1
1989 48,610 6.61
1990 45,636 6.90
1991 45,897 6.22
1992 45,817 6.89
1993 44,566 7.20

three were sentenced to detention under section 53 of the Children and Young Persons Act 1933 and one to custody for life.

Mr. Cox

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many women have been sentenced to imprisonment by courts in England and Wales during the last 12 months for abuse of children. [2526]

Mr. Keith Bradley

Those who abuse children can be charged with a number of offences. Some of these offences, such as assault causing actual bodily harm and common assault do not identify the age of the victim and it is not possible to provide details of all crimes where children are victims from Home Office statistics. The table shows the statistics for those offences where it is possible to identify a child victim of whatever age.

Year Prison population on 30 June Percentage of total serving sentences for drug offences1
1994 48,794 7.20
1995 51,047 8.34
1996 55,281 10.41
1997 61,114 11.74
1998 65,298 12.09
1999 64,771 12.61
2000 64,602 13.12
20012 65,900
20022 67,300
20032 68,900
20042 70,500
20052 72.000
1 Rounded to two decimal places
2 Projected figures

Paul Flynn

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the UK prison population is expressed as a number per 100,000 population; and what the latest figures are for other Council of Europe member states. [2364]

Beverley Hughes

[holding answer 9 July 2001]: Provisional information based on the average population in England and Wales in 2000, and the average population in prisons in England and Wales in 2000, shows there were 113 people in a prison establishment per 100,000 of the general population.

Provisional information is available for England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland separately. It is shown in the table along with rates for those countries in Europe for which data are available.

Country Rate2 per 100,000 population in 2000
EU member states average
England and Wales3 124
Northern Ireland 60
Scotland4 115
Austria5 84
Belgium4 83
Cyprus 637
Czech Republic7 208
Denmark 61
Estonia8 330
Finland7 52
France9 689
Germany8 97
Greece 76
Hungary7 157
Ireland (Eire) 80
Italy 94
Luxembourg 690
Netherlands10 87
Norway3 n/a
Poland2 170
Portugal 127
Russia7 465
Slovenia 57
Spain7 114
Sweden11 64
Switzerland 79
Australia4 6108
Canada12 6123
Japan3 47
New Zealand5 6149
South Africa4 385
USA13 702
1 At 1 September: number of prisoners including pre-trial detainees
2 Based on estimates of national population
3 At 31 August
4 Annual daily population
5 Annual averages
6 In 1999
7 At 31 December
8 At 31 January
9 Metropolitan and overseas departments
10 At 1 September
11 At 30 September
12 Annual average by financial year (1 April-31 March)
13 At 30 June

n/a = not available

Source:

Statistical contacts in each country

Version:

18 June 2001