§ Mr. Sproatasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what approximate estimate he has made of the percentage of persons 314W in prison in Scotland at the latest available date who are in prison as a result, in substantial part, of, respectively, chronic alcoholism, subnormal intelligence, and mental illness.
§ Mr. Harry EwingSubstandard intelligence and mental illness may have been a contributory factor in the crimes of some persons sentenced to imprisonment but few, if any, persons detained in Scottish penal institutions suffer from severe conditions of that kind. Intoxication is a precipitating factor in many crimes, and a number of those imprisoned in such cases may be problem drinkers. Habitual drunken offenders as normally defined, ie those convicted of drunkenness offences or breach of the peace of a similar nature who appear to be suffering from chronic alcoholism, are estimated to constitute about 2 to 3 per cent. of the total population of Scottish penal institutions.
§ Mr. Sproatasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish the percentage of the prison population in Scotland broken down by offences committed.
§ Mr. Harry EwingThis information is not immediately available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.