Written question asked by Gordon Prentice (Labour) on Monday, 16 March 1998, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 24 March 1998. It was answered by Baroness Quin (Labour) on Tuesday, 24 March 1998 on behalf of the Home Office.

Home Office

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many prisoners per 1,000 population there are in England; and what assessment he has made of the factors underlying the differences in the number of prisoners per 1,000 population in (a) England and (b) Scotland.

Answer: Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners per 1,000 population there are in England; and what assessment he has made of the factors underlying the differences in the number of prisoners per 1,000 population in (a) England and (b) Scotland. [35193] Ms Quin: The latest available provisional information is for 1 September 1996 and shows that in England and Wales there were 1.07 prisoners per 1,000 population compared with 1.15 in Scotland. Within the sentencing framework set by Parliament, who is sent to prison and for how long is a matter for the courts. Different legal systems operate in England and Wales and in Scotland. The respective sentencing framework of each legal system may be a contributory factor in the difference between the countries in the number of prisoners per 1,000 population.

Secondary information