§ Mr. Kilroy-Silkasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the result of his discussions on improving the arrangements for mentally disordered offenders.
§ Mr. Merlyn ReesA rapid solution to this problem is not to be expected. I have, however, discussed it with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Services, with particular reference to those mentally disordered offenders whose condition is, in the opinion of prison medical officers, such as to warrant their detention in hospital for treatment. The first step is to identify with more precision the numbers and characteristics of this group and we intend to do this, concentrating in the first instance on sentenced prisoners who are mentally ill.
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Strength Officers Police Ethnic Minorities Cadets Male Female Total Male Female Total Male Female Total Police Service, England and Wales— 1st April 1974 96,307 4,420 100,727 79 6 85 3,685 673 4,358 30th September 1978 99,718 8,322 108,040 172 39 211 2,336 1,109 3,445 Metropolitan Police— 1st April 1974 20,119 937 21,056 21 2 23 663 — 633 30th September 1978 20,258 1,417 21,675 66 17 83 667 140 807 West Midlands— 1st April 1974 4,935 300 5,235 10 — 10 238 20 258 30th September 1978 5,194 628 5,822 30 9 39 130 150 280 Greater Manchester— 1st April 1974 5,307 278 5,585 2 1 3 162 64 226 30th September 1978 5,554 708 6,262 6 2 8 131 89 220 Merseyside— 1st April 1974 3,614 250 3,864 3 — 3 56 23 79 30th September 1978 3,750 472 4,222 4 1 5 43 17 60 South Yorkshire— 1st April 1974 2,196 123 2,319 — — — 76 29 105 30th September 1978 2,242 224 2,466 — 1 1 51 54 105 West Yorkshire— 1st April 1974 4,086 267 4,353 5 — 5 177 64 241 30th September 1978 4,143 408 4,551 6 3 9 54 39 93 The problem was ventilated in the Fifteenth Report from the Expenditure Committee, whose recommendations are being given urgent consideration by the Government.