Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to Prison Population Projections 2020 to 2026, England and Wales, published on 26 November 2020, whether the projected increases in prison populations for (a) adult women and (b) children reflect his Departmental policies.

The projections are based on Government policies as outlined in the publication. Increases are expected particularly due to the recruitment of an extra 20,000 police officers which is likely to increase charge volumes.

It remains the case that the Government’s position is that children should be sentenced to custody only as a last resort. Similarly, we remain committed to the Female Offender Strategy published in 2018 which outlines our intention to see fewer women in custody and more women supported in the community.

The recent Sentencing White Paper outlined a number of measures to strengthen community sentences and give both courts and the public confidence in their ability to act as a robust alternative to custody.