Written question asked by Lord Field of Birkenhead (Labour) on Monday, 5 December 2005, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 8 December 2005. It was answered by Fiona Mactaggart (Labour) on Monday, 19 December 2005 on behalf of the Home Office.

Custodial Sentences (Mothers)

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what offences custodial sentences were imposed on mothers in the last 12 months for which information is available; and how many mothers serving custodial sentences (a) have and (b) do not have their child with them in prison.

Answer: Information on the number of mothers sentenced to custodial sentences, and the offences for which they were sentenced, is not centrally available. During the period 29 November 2004 to 28 November 2005 the number of women who had a child with them in a Mother and Baby Unit (MBU) in a prison ranged between 38 and 66 per week and averaged 44 per week. Figures on the number of women prisoners who have children resident in the community are not available centrally.

Secondary information