Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what progress he has made on plans to revise the Prison Service Instruction for Mother and Baby Units which expired at the end of last year; and whether those plans will include mandatory standards for the care and support of all pregnant women and new mothers in custody, including those who are separated from their babies.

There are plans to conduct a full review of the Mother and Baby Unit instruction imminently, and will consult with stakeholders in the summer. As part of the review we will look at what can usefully be included within the instruction to support all pregnant women and new mothers. This will also take account of mothers who are separated from their babies. The review will involve consultation from colleges in other government departments as well as our stakeholders.