§ Mr. Gristasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate his Department has of the numbers and percentage of the prison population who are mentally deficient.
§ Mr. Gristasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many current prisoners are serving their fourth or more prison sentence; and what percentage this represents of the prison population.
919W
§ Mr. JohnAbout 11,500 of the sentenced inmates in custody on 31st October are known to have had three or more previous custodial sentences. This represents 39 per cent. of those sentenced inmates in custody—viz., about 29,000— whose previous history is known.
§ Mr. Gristasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the estimated number of prisoners who are alcoholic; and what that figure represents as a percentage of the total prison population.
§ Mr. Gristasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proposals he has for providing full remedial treatment for prisoners who are alcoholics.
§ Mr. JohnFacilities for long-term treatment are available in units at four prisons. At others there are medical officers with appropriate psychiatric experience or visiting psychiatrists. In addition, the majority of prisons have an Alcoholncs Anonymous group. There are no proposals for providing additional facilities.
§ Mr. Lawrenceasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will list the prisons in the United Kingdom where there are prisoner work schemes in operation; what proportion of prisons have such schemes; and what proportion of the total prison population is engaged in such schemes;
(2) what plans he has for the extension of prisoner work schemes;
(3) what objections, if any, he has received concerning the introduction or extension of prisoner work schemes; what organisations have objected; and what assessment he has made of the merit of those objections;
(4) if he will list the categories of work that are done in prisoner work schemes; what is the cost of such operations; and what is the income currently derived from them;
(5) what criteria are laid down before deciding whether prisoner work schemes are suitable for operation in any prison.
§ Mr. JohnThere is a variety of arrangements for the employment of920W prisoners in England and Wales and it is not possible to give generalised answers. If the hon. Member has a particular point in mind no doubt he will let me know.
§ Mr. Gouldasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the Government's attitude towards hunger strikes by prisoners remains that expressed in the statement reported in the Official Report for 17th July 1974, column 451.