Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the effect of community-based sentencing options on reducing the numbers of mothers on the prison estate and children in care; and if he will ensure that his Department's new female offenders strategy includes measures to prevent the separation of children from their mothers in cases where a mother's sentence is for a non-violent crime and for 12 months or less.

We are currently developing the female offender strategy and have considered the effectiveness of community sentences and custodial sentences for all women as part of that work. Custody should be the last resort and only imposed after the court has considered alternative sentences to be served in the community. We are committed to making sure that as many women as possible are effectively rehabilitated in the community to better protect the public and deliver better outcomes for female offenders and their families.