Written question asked by Paul Flynn (Labour) on Wednesday, 8 January 2003, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 20 January 2003. It was answered by Hilary Benn (Labour) on Monday, 20 January 2003 on behalf of the Home Office.

Home Office

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many women prisoners who were addicts of (a) heroin and (b) cocaine continued their habits after serving their sentences in each of the last five years; and what proportion died from drugs misuse in the 12 month period after leaving prison.

Answer: Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many women prisoners who were addicts of (a) heroin and (b) cocaine continued their habits after serving their sentences in each of the last five years; and what proportion died from drugs misuse in the 12 month period after leaving prison. [90266] Hilary Benn: There is no routinely collected data on the proportion of female prisoners who were addicts of heroin or cocaine and who continued their habit after their sentences. However, the Home Office has commissioned the Office for National Statistics to examine the extent and causes of drug-related mortality among prisoners recently released from prison in England and Wales. The findings, which are due to be published later this quarter, will examine mortality rates among a sample of the general ex-prisoner population (though mainly not differentiating between males and females).

Secondary information

Type: Written question
Reference: 90266; 398 c195-6W;398 c181-2W
Session: 2002-03
Subjects: Death Women Drugs Prisoners Prisons Misuse Prisoners' release Heroin Cocaine
Contains statistics: Yes
Link: View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk