Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether his Department is taking steps to reduce the number of (a) pregnant women and (b) mothers of babies under the age of two who are sent to prison.

Our Female Offender Strategy makes clear that we want fewer women entering custody and more being managed in the community.

We have developed an aide memoire to support probation practitioners completing pre-sentence reports (PSRs) on women. It is designed to improve the quality and consistency of PSRs, by highlighting key areas for practitioners to consider when assessing the diverse needs of women in the context of offending (including health, relationships and caring responsibilities), in order to support a robust proposal for a community sentence whenever appropriate.

Sentencing and remand decisions in individual cases are entirely a matter for the courts, which are independent of Government. The Sentencing Council, which is also independent, has provided guidance to sentencers on the factors to be taken into account when sentencing female offenders, including pregnancy, and being the sole or primary carer for dependent relatives. In relation to an offender who is pregnant, relevant considerations may include any effect of the sentence on the health of the offender and any effect on the unborn child. The guidance makes clear that where an offender is at the threshold of custody, imprisonment should not be imposed if the impact on dependents would be disproportionate.