Q570 Mr. Dave Anderson: Can I go back to the point about resettlement. You spoke about the different views of men and women coming out of prison. If a man comes out, hopefully he is into work; the women quite rightly into the home and family. How is that being addressed now and what do you think needs to be done to address it properly?

Baroness Corston: I do not think it is being done now. There are increasing efforts by prison staff who are responsible for the care of women. I stress that is how they put it, they talk always of the care of women in prison. There are increasing efforts to secure accommodation. I have been to prisons where there are staff who have dedicated tasks of helping women at risk with resettlement. They come up against sometimes an intentionally homeless rule where you will get very unsympathetic housing staff who will say, "We are not accepting responsibility for two reasons. One, you went to prison so you therefore declared yourself intentionally homeless by going to prison. Two, you say you have got children but they are not with you so we are not going to accept responsibility". They go to social services and say, "I want my children back" and they say, "You cannot have your children back, you have got nowhere to live". That is what leads to this vortex where they end up leading these chaotic lives and living on drugs and when I say drugs it is not just drugs, it can just as easily be alcohol. That was the sub-text to what I was saying. I think I have recommended that the intentionally homeless rule should be abolished because I feel that is an essential pre-condition for these women.

This is an uncorrected transcript of evidence taken in public and reported to the House. The transcript has been placed on the internet on the authority of the Committee. Neither witnesses nor Members have had the opportunity to correct the record. The transcript is not yet an approved formal record of these proceedings.

The full transcript may be read at: http://www.parliament.the-stationery-office.co.uk/pa/cm200607/cmselect/cmniaf/uc520-vii/uc52002.htm

Promoted by Paul Foy on behalf of Dave Anderson, both of St Cuthbert's Church Hall, Shibdon Road, Blaydon, NE21 5PT