§ Mr. Michael McNair-Wilsonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will now fist the psychiatric hospitals and units referred to in the letter of 19th March 1976 from the Minister of State to the hon. Member for Newbury in which clinicians have used or are using literature, pictures or films which had been confiscated on the grounds of obscenity.
§ Dr. OwenWhen in my letter of 19th March I referred to the small number of hospitals and units at which a clinician had borrowed such material I did not intend to imply that my Department is in possession of a comprehensive list of such institutions.
The information that we do possess indicates that individual practitioners at the following hospitals have borrowed such material from the Director of Public Prosecutions during the last five years: Broadmoor, Hellingley, Herrison, Knowle, Maudsley, Moss Side, Netherne and Fairdene, Park Lane, Rampton.
The loans have of course been subject to very stringent conditions as to the use and security of the material, and have only been made available with the prior approval of my Department.
In following up the soundings referred to in my letter, firm evidence of such 331W material having been borrowed from the police has not been forthcoming.