Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions officials in his Department have held with the officials from the Ministry of Justice on ensuring the maintenance of his Department's nutritional standards for pregnant women in prisons.

No such discussions have taken place.

The Government wants to ensure that staff working with women in custody and the community have clear and concise guidance on how to deal with female offenders. We have therefore developed the Women’s Policy Framework which details the mandatory actions necessary to support women in custody and the community.

In addition, the Government has developed a comprehensive document on ‘Caring for Perinatal Women in Prison’. We have consulted with Birth Companions, a leading charity in this field, on the production of this guide and incorporated much of the material that they requested be included.