The Bishop of Gloucester received the following written answer on 6th December 2021:
The Lord Bishop of Gloucester asked Her Majesty’s Government how many women in prison aged (1) 18 to 24, or (2) 25 years or older, have dependent children.
Lord Wolfson of Tredegar (Con): We do not hold current figures on how many women in prison aged (1) 18 to 24 or (2) 25 years or older have dependent children. Information on a prisoner’s caring responsibilities and their children living in the community is currently monitored locally by prison Governors/Directors to ensure appropriate support can be provided to offenders and their families. We are making changes to the questions within the Basic Custody Screening Tool (BCST) in the first quarter of 2022 and, once this has been done, we will be able to collect primary carer data via the BCST and access this information centrally. Consideration will then be given to how and what we can publish.
The Lord Bishop of Gloucester asked her Majesty’s Government what is the average number of miles that a (1) woman, or (2) man, in prison is held from their home address.
Lord Wolfson of Tredegar: As of 19 November 2021, prisoners living in the female prison estate were, on average, 46 miles away from their origin address.
As of 19 November 2021, prisoners living in the male prison estate were, on average, 45 miles away from their origin address.
There are complex and wide-ranging issues involved in transferring and locating prisoners, and allocation decisions must reflect both the specific needs and circumstances of the prisoner, including their security assessment, as well as the operating environment and range of services at the receiving prison.
HM Prison and Probation Service is committed to ensuring, where practicable, that prisoners are accommodated as close as possible to their resettlement communities and families. Whilst this is a priority, it is not always possible due to a variety of factors including wider population pressures, or where prisoners have specific sentence planning needs which can only be met at certain establishments.
The Church of England in Parliament 
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