Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Support for Female Offenders

Tuesday 28 January 2025 · 4 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 3 Partly answered 1 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Grant funding has been awarded to PACT to provide a resettlement family engagement worker in HMP Foston Hall and seven other women's prisons.
  • The court's decision was to impose a prison sentence on Gaie Delap, and the Government cannot intervene in such decisions.
  • 2 million is being awarded for the upcoming year to community organisations and local areas supporting women in the community.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 John Whitby Lab Derbyshire Dales
Justice & Courts Women & Equalities
Context

The MP raises concerns about the support available for women in custody.

Question

What family support is available for women at Foston Hall prison and young offenders institution?

Answer from The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice (Sir Nicholas Dakin)

We know that family support is very important to women in custody, which is why grant funding has been awarded to the charity Parents And Children Together—PACT—to provide a resettlement family engagement worker in HMP Foston Hall, as well as in seven other women’s prisons.

Answered
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Q2 Jayne Kirkham Labour (Co-op) Truro and Falmouth
Justice & Courts Women & Equalities
Context

The MP highlights a specific case of an elderly woman who was recalled to prison due to technical issues with her electronic monitoring system.

Question

Gaie Delap, the mother of a constituent of mine, was recalled to prison just before Christmas, despite complying with her curfew conditions, because the Government’s electronic monitoring services contractor could not fulfil its contract and find a tag to fit a frail 78-year-old woman. Can the Minister and the Secretary of State help to find a solution so that Gaie Delap can be released on her curfew, and so that women are not disadvantaged by the failings of the contractor’s electronic monitoring system?

Answer from The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice (Sir Nicholas Dakin)

I thank my hon. Friend for raising this matter. In this case the court’s decision was to impose a prison sentence, and neither Ministers nor officials can intervene in sentences passed down by our independent courts. I understand the frustrations and can assure the House that we are working hard to find alternative approaches to ensure a secure resolution to this issue.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific request for intervention or assistance was not addressed, and the response focused on limitations of ministerial powers.

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Q3 Paul Davies Lab Colne Valley
Justice & Courts Women & Equalities
Context

The MP highlights the projected increase in women prisoners and welcomes the establishment of the Women’s Justice Board.

Question

There are more than 3,000 women prisoners in England and Wales—a number that the Ministry of Justice projects will rise to 4,200 by November 2027. Like many, I welcome the newly established Women’s Justice Board, which will oversee efforts to tackle this issue and ensure a tailored approach to female offenders. What measures are being implemented to provide support through community sentences and residential women’s centres?

Answer from The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice (Sir Nicholas Dakin)

We are awarding £7.2 million for the upcoming year to community organisations and local areas that are already supporting women in the community. We are also employing options to increase the use of residential provision as an alternative to short custodial sentences. That includes engaging with the judiciary to ensure that the option of a community order with a residential requirement is considered in appropriate cases.

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Q4 Becky Gittins Lab Clwyd East
Justice & Courts Women & Equalities
Context

The MP welcomes the launch of the Women’s Justice Board and seeks to ensure that voices from women's centers across the country are heard.

Question

I welcome the launch of the Women’s Justice Board, which is intended to reduce the number of women in our prisons, cut reoffending and better support our children. Will the Minister work with organisations from across the country, including North Wales Women’s Centre, to ensure not only that their voices are at the heart of the work going on, but that they have the resources and support needed to support the most vulnerable in our society?

Answer from The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice (Sir Nicholas Dakin)

I pay tribute to women’s centres across the country such as that in north Wales for the excellent contribution that their work makes. I agree that short custodial sentences can be problematic; they exacerbate women’s underlying needs without allowing time for rehabilitation, and they separate mothers from children and mean that women are more likely to reoffend. That is why the Women’s Justice Board—I am grateful to my hon. Friend for welcoming it—aims to increase the number of women supported in the community. The board will also look at how we can better support mothers with young children.

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