§ Julie MorganTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many female prisoners were electronically tagged in(a) England and (b) Wales during the period between January and December 2003; and what the most recent available figures are for 2004. [177256]
§ Paul GogginsIn 2003 there were 2,153 female prisoners released on the Home Detention Curfew scheme (HDC). Between 1 January 2004 and 30 April 2004, there were 689 female prisoners released on HDC. These prisoners were all released from prisons in England There are no prisons for females in Wales. The country (i.e. England or Wales) in which electronically tagged prisoners reside on release is not recorded centrally.
§ Julie MorganTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many women's places were not used in bail hostels in(a) England and (b) Wales during the period between January and December 2003; and what the most recent figures are for 2004. [177257]
§ Paul GogginsThere are currently 100 approved probation and bail hostels throughout the 42 probation areas which make up the National Probation Service for England and Wales. They provide a total of 2,238 places, of which 2,016 are for men and 222 for women. These approved premises broadly accept three categories of residents; bailees, those on community orders with a condition of residence at the approved premises, and those on licence following release from a custodial sentence. Five of these premises (all based in probation areas in England), are for women only. A further 28 premises (three of which are in Wales) provide mixed accommodation. However, no published data is available on how many women's places were not utilised during 2003 or 2004.
§ Mr. StinchcombeTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many custodial sentences being served by female prisoners of one month or less were imposed on female convicts and served at HMP Holloway in the last year. [177494]
§ Paul GogginsOf the women serving custodial sentences at Holloway in the last year, 123 had received sentences of one month or less. The Government does not believe that these kind of short sentences are generally effective in reducing re-offending which is why we are introducing the Generic Community Sentencewhich will enable sentencers to choose from a range of measures appropriate for each individual offender and Custody Plus which will ensure that short periods of custody are followed up with effective supervision in the community.
§ Sandra GidleyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many female prisoners were in England and Wales(a) broken down by prison and (b) as a total in each year since 1997. [177510]
§ Paul GogginsThe number of female prisoners in England and Wales, broken down by establishment and as a total, on 30 June in each year since 1997 is given in the table.
1175W
Female prison population by establishment—England and Wales, 30 June 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 Askham Grange 131 126 113 113 128 135 122 Birmingham 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 Brockhill 135 132 145 155 150 161 155 Buckley Hall 0 0 0 0 0 203 308 Bullwood Hall 125 134 137 160 162 181 163 Cookham Wood 147 161 147 137 151 144 143 Downview 0 0 0 0 0 245 212 Drake Hall 281 275 209 162 232 276 303 Durham 42 45 103 96 104 97 107 East Sutton Park 95 97 96 70 89 95 99 Eastwood Park 125 259 277 301 299 322 286 Foston Hall 0 134 171 167 156 207 224 Highpoint 204 206 198 201 251 270 293 Holloway 524 516 501 490 474 480 465 Low Newton 47 83 105 207 251 286 268 Morton Hall 0 0 0 0 188 188 347 New Hall 317 364 379 366 347 348 374 Risley 152 160 0 0 0 0 0 Send 0 55 89 201 216 215 216 Styal 267 281 446 449 424 455 426 Winchester 80 91 91 80 91 86 84 Total 2,672 3,120 3,207 3,355 3,713 4,394 4,595
§ Sandra GidleyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the women's unit at HMP Durham will close; where the female inmates at HMP Durham will be moved to; and if he will make a statement. [177575]
§ Paul GogginsDurham is to change its role from a high security prison to a community prison by April of next year and will no longer be holding women1176W prisoners. The change is due to spare capacity in the rest of the high security estate and the availability of new accommodation for women at Bronzefield in Ashford, Middlesex opening on 17 June and Peterborough in June 2005.
There are currently around 100 women being held at the prison of whom seven are category A. The women will all be subject to comprehensive sentence plans to determine the most appropriate prison for them.