Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 23 October 2019 to Question 949 on Prisoners: Parents, for what reasons his Department does not collect data to illuminate the prevalence and needs of male prisoners with children; and if he will make a statement.

We do recognise the needs of male prisoners with children, dependent or otherwise, as well as those of women. Information in this regard is vital in informing policy and practice in this area. Where male or female offenders choose to disclose such information, data is collected, although it is not corroborated. As noted in our previous answer this data does not provide detailed information of the child’s age or whether they are dependents. The data is therefore not suitable for publication.