8th November 2006
How many pregnant women held at Yarl's Wood are fast track cases?

Alistair Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many pregnant women held at Yarl's Wood are fast track cases; how many pregnant women detained there between 1 April 2004 and 31 January 2006 were fast track cases; how many of these reached 24 weeks of pregnancy while detained; and what procedures were followed in reviewing (a) the need for and (b) the conditions of their detention at this stage.

8th November 2006
How many pregnant women held at Yarl's Wood are fast track cases?

Alistair Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many pregnant women held at Yarl's Wood are fast track cases; how many pregnant women detained there between 1 April 2004 and 31 January 2006 were fast track cases; how many of these reached 24 weeks of pregnancy while detained; and what procedures were followed in reviewing (a) the need for and (b) the conditions of their detention at this stage.

Mr. Byrne: There is at present one pregnant woman in the Fast track process who is detained at Yarl's Wood. The Fast Track process has only been in existence since nine May 2005. We do not keep historical information purely on the basis of pregnancy and as such cannot give numbers of those detainees who were pregnant and are no longer in the fast track process. We do not accept women into fast track who are more than 24 weeks pregnant. However, a woman would be released from detention when she reaches 32 weeks pregnant. The detention of each woman is constantly monitored, pregnant or not, including considering the need to detain on the basis of each individual's case. A pregnant woman has access to full healthcare facilities at Yarl's Wood. This includes access to a midwife, who oversees the individual's medical requirements regarding the pregnancy.