HC Deb 08 December 2003 vol 415 cc239-40W
Mr. Blunt

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list for each women's prison as at 31 October the(a) normal prisoner establishment, (b) actual numbers held, (c) prison officer establishment, (d) prison officers on strength and (e) number of suicides at each prison since 1 January. [140451]

Paul Goggins

The information requested is as follows:

Prison Operational

capacity

Population Target

prison officer

grades

Actual

in post

Askham Grange 141 116 31.75 30.75
Brockhill 167 146 104 96
Buckley Hall 320 300 113 106.5
Bullwood Hall 184 156 91 73.5
Cookham Wood 140 126 63 59
Downview 224 211 123 106
Drake Hall 315 285 83 81
Durham1 110 100
East Sutton Park 100 97 21.5 21.5
Eastwood Park 346 274 132 127
Edmunds Hill 310 266 139 120
Foston Hall 235 222 103 94
Holloway 495 453 291 299
Low Newton 396 294 144 144
Morton Hall 395 327 1,171 15.5
New Hall 426 370 189 180
Send 220 213 73 68.5
Styal 468 426 177 174
Winchester West Hill1 87 78
1 These establishment are part of the male estate and separate figures for prison officer grades in the women's units are not available.

There have been 14 deaths of women in custody since 1 January, as follows:

Number
Brockhill 1
Bullwood 1
Downview 1
Durham 3
Eastwood Park 1
New Hall 3
Styal 4

Vera Baird

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to survey the women's prison population to determine prisoners' home locations in order to facilitate resettlement. [141620]

Paul Goggins

There are no plans currently to conduct such a survey. As at 30 September (the latest date for which information is available) 50 per cent. of the women prisoners who gave details of their home addresses were held under 50 miles from home. 26 per cent. were held between 50 and 100 miles from home, and 24 per cent. were held more than 100 miles away from their home address.

The provision of housing advice and support is being strengthened in women's prisons, especially in those with a local function, and wherever possible the Prison Service aims to hold prisoners in establishments that are near to their homes or to the courts dealing with their cases.