asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the current cost of keeping a man in a British prison; and what are the comparable figures for a woman, and a youth in a community school.

The latest available information for England and Wales relates to the financial year 1974–75, when the average weekly cost of keeping an adult in prison was £58 for a man and £74 for a woman. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Services tells me that the average weekly cost of maintaining a child in all types of community home in England and Wales in 1974–75 was £50. This provisional figure, excludes administration costs and takes no account of parental contributions.Separate information is not available about the cost of community homes with education on the premises—formerly approved schools.