Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask Her Majesty's Government when it is anticipated that the Mother and Baby Unit at Eastwood Park Prison will re-open.

The mother and baby unit (MBU) at Eastwood Park has been out of commission since October 2016, owing to flooding caused by a burst pipe. We are planning to complete refurbishment by May, with re-occupation in late June/early July.

While the MBU remains out of use, any women at the prison whose application for a MBU place is accepted can be accommodated in one of the other five units within the women’s prison estate.

We are committed to doing all we can to address the issues around female offending so we can better protect the public and deliver more effective rehabilitation.