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19 July 2007 : Column 574W—continued
Prisoners on Remand
Mr. Heath: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisoners have spent (a) over six months, (b) over 12 months, (c) over 18 months and (d) over two years in prison on remand in the last five years. [150135]
Mr. Hanson: The requested information is not available in the form requested.
The average time spent on remand by prisoners discharged from different lengths of determinate sentence on completion of sentence or licence may be deduced from table 10.1 (for adults) and 10.2 (for young offenders) of Offender Management Caseload Statistics 2005, 2004 and 2003. This calculation includes prisoners who were not remanded in custody.
Data for the earlier years may be found in table 4.11 Prison Statistics in England and Wales for 2002 and 2001.
Data are not held on prisoners who following time spent on remand do not spend time in custody under sentence.
Copies of these publications are placed in the House of Commons Library and can also be found at the Offender Management Caseload Statistics website at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/omcs.html under section 10 for the years 2003 to 2005 and at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/omcsa.html for the years 2001 and 2002.
These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.
Prisoners’ Release
Nick Herbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisoners released for the last 18 days of their sentence since June 2007 have been returned to prison. [150506]
Mr. Hanson: NOMS has been notified that, out of 1,701 prisoners who were released under End of Custody Licence between 29 June and 5 July, there were 12 who, by 5 July, had been subsequently returned to prison. These figures are based on statistics published on 16 July and updates will be published monthly.
The End of Custody Licence was introduced on 29 June 2007. Eligible prisoners serving between four weeks and less than four years may be released under licence from prison up to 18 days before their automatic release date.
The figures are as notified to NOMS and may therefore be subject to inaccuracies. Some offenders may have been returned to custody without NOMS having been notified. In addition, the figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.
Prisoners’ Transfers
Sir Robert Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) how many accidents involving prisoner transport vehicles have resulted in (a) injury, (b) serious injury and (c) fatality to prisoners in transit in the last five years; [150316]
(2) how many accidents involving prisoner transport vehicles in the last five years have involved prisoner transport vehicles operated by private companies; [150317]
(3) how many accidents involving prisoner transit vehicles have occurred each year in the last five years. [150328]
Maria Eagle: There have been no accidents involving prisoner transport vehicles in England and Wales which resulted in a fatality to a prisoner in transit in the last five years. Information about accidents involving escort contractor vehicles that have resulted in injury is available from August 2004 and is set out in the following table. This excludes information for HM Prison Service who do not hold this information centrally and which could be provided only at disproportionate cost. A breakdown of seriousness is not readily available without further investigation.
| Injury | |
Records of accidents involving prisoner escort contractor vehicles are available from August 2004 and are set out in the following table. The majority of accidents involve reversing and manoeuvring.
| All types | Non-cellular | |
Sir Robert Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) what assessment he has made of the merits of the introduction of compulsory seat belts for prisoners in prisoner transport vehicles; [150318]
(2) how many prisoner transport vehicles have seat belts for prisoners. [150320]
Maria Eagle: The Government considered the merits of installing seat belts in cellular vehicles in 2003. We concluded that the risk of prisoner self inflicted deaths outweighed the benefits of seat belts being installed compulsorily.
Cellular vehicles operated by private contractors for the National Offender Management Service are not fitted with seat belts within the cells. Seat belts are fitted for prisoners in all 32 non-cellular vehicles operated by private contractors. Seat belts are fitted for prisoners in 31 cellular vehicles operated by HM Prison Service. These vehicles are primarily used to escort category A prisoners who have a higher level of supervision.
Sir Robert Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what average distance prisoners travelled in prisoner transport vehicles (a) whilst on remand and (b) post-sentence in the last 12 months. [150319]
Maria Eagle: Separate records are not available for remand and post sentenced prisoners. Contractors for the National Offender Management Service report that the average distance prisoners travelled in prisoner transport vehicles in the last 12 months was 18 miles. Information for HM Prison Service vehicles is not held centrally.
Prisoners: Children
Mr. Heath: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many (a) male and (b) female prisoners with dependent children are held outside their home region. [150132]
Mr. Hanson: The Prison Service does not keep information on the number of prisoners that have dependent children. To identify such women, prison staff would need to look at each individual’s record, which would in any case not be reliable given that its content depends on (sometimes partial) information provided by the prisoners themselves. However, the 2003-04 resettlement survey commissioned by the Prison Service Custody to Work Unit showed that half of all female prisoners had dependent children (including stepchildren), and that 46 per cent. of those women had lived with at least one dependent child before custody.
Research carried out in January 2007, calculated that the average distance from home for male prisoners is 50 miles and for women prisoners 55 miles (the women’s estate is much smaller and more widespread). Considerable emphasis is placed on encouraging prisoners to maintain family ties. Governors are required to consider family contact issues, educational courses and treatment programmes before moving prisoners.
Mr. Heath: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many (a) female and (b) male prisoners have dependent children. [150146]
Mr. Hanson: The Prison Service does not keep information on the number of prisoners that have dependent children.
To identify such women, prison staff would need to look at each individual’s record, which would in any case not be reliable given that its content depends on (sometimes partial) information provided by the prisoners themselves. However, the 2003-04 resettlement survey commissioned by the Prison Service Custody to Work Unit showed that half of all female prisoners had dependent children (including stepchildren), and that 46 per cent. of those women had lived with at least one dependent child before custody.
Mr. Heath: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many children are resident in Prison Service mother and baby accommodation, broken down by age. [150147]
Mr. Hanson: There are currently 39 children on the mother and baby units (MBUs). A breakdown in age is contained in the following table:
| Age in months | Number of children in MBUs |
The maximum age for a child to remain with their mother in a MBU is 18 months. However, in exceptional circumstances, such as an imminent release, a mother can be granted permission to keep the child with her, if it is in the child’s best interests, after he/she reaches 18 months.
Mr. Heath: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many children were born to women in prison in each of the last 10 years. [150148]
Mr. Hanson: The Prison Service has only routinely kept information centrally on births in custody since April 2005. Figures prior to this date are not available.
The number of prisoners giving birth since April 2005 are as follows:
| Number | |
Prisoners: Death
Mr. Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many deaths occurred in prisons in each of the last 10 years, broken down by (a) cause of death and (b) (i) age group and (ii) sex of deceased. [149856]
Maria Eagle: Information on numbers of deaths in prisons—excluding all current single function young offender institutions is contained in the following table and associated notes. Establishments change and combine functions from time to time. Working out the precise make-up of the male, female and YOI estates over the 10 years and matching that to the timings of deaths could be done only at disproportionate cost.
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