HC Deb 17 April 1985 vol 77 cc163-4W
Mr. Soley

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what verdict was recorded on the death of those of the 11 prisoners listed as awaiting inquest in his answer of 25 January, Official Report, columns 534–35, in respect of whom the inquest has now been completed.

Mr. Mellor

The following verdicts are now available. Case numbers are those used in my reply to a question from the hon. Member for Knowsley, North (Mr. Kilroy-Silk) on 25 January, at columns 533–36.

Case Number Verdict
26 Natural causes: coronary thrombosis
48 Natural causes: kidney failure
49 Suicide: pulmonary embolism
50 Natural causes: staphylococal pyaemia
57 Suicide: asphyxia by hanging
60 Suicide: asphyxia by hanging
61 Natural causes: myocardial infarction
63 Natural causes: coronary artery thrombosis.

Verdicts in the other three cases are still awaited.

Mr. Williams

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many suicides and how many attempted suicides have taken place in prisons in each of the last 25 years; and how many in each year have occurred at Swansea.

Mr. Mellor

The information available is as follows:

Number of Suicides
Year All establishments including Swansea Swansea
1960 6 0
1961 17 0
1962 15 0
1963 12 0
1964 22 0
1965 15 0
1966 11 0
1967 19 0
1968 17 0
1969 21 2
1970 6 0
1971 13 0
1972 13 0
1973 14 0
1974 6 0
1975 14 0
1976 20 1
1977 11 1
1978 16 0
1979 21 0
1980 21 0
1981 16 0
1982 18 0
1983 21 0
1984 *23 *1
* One inquest verdict of an inmate who was found hanging is awaited. This was at Swansea. It is not included in these figures.

In 1982 there were 253 incidents of self-injury with apparent suicidal intent, of which two were at Swansea.

In 1983 there were 221 incidents of self-injury with apparent suicidal intent, of which eight were at Swansea.

Figures for self-injury for other years are not available.

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