To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) for the latest date available how many female prisoners in England and Wales were serving a prison sentence that was (a) less than six months and (b) between six but less than 12 months;(2) for the latest date available how many female prisoners in England and Wales were serving their sentences because of a fine default.

[holding answer 25 June 1990]: The latest readily available information is given in the table.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for the latest date available; how many probation psychiatric voluntary hostel places were available in England and Wales for female offenders.

[holding answer 25 June 1990]: There are 91 beds funded by the Home Office for use by the probation service in voluntary after-care hotels dealing with ex-offenders with histories of mental illness or personality disorder. Only two of these beds are designated specifically for female offenders, but the remainder would be available to them.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for the latest date available what was (a) the weekly cost for a female probation hostel place and (b) the average weekly cost of a female prison place.

[holding answer 25 June 1990]: There are no hostels taking only women on probation, although there are two probation-bail hostels designated for women offenders and defendants. Other probation-bail hostels accept men and women, but the costs relating to women cannot be disaggregated.From information available for 1988–89 for those hostels which took women only the average weekly cost per occupied place was £152. This compares with an average weekly cost in 1988–89 of £155 per occupied place in all probation-bail and bail hostels. The average weekly cost of a place at a women's prison establishment in 1988–89 was £399.