§ Mr. SteinbergTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has any plans to increase the provision of speech therapy in prisons.
§ Mr. Douglas HoggBecause of the limited and fluctuating demand for speech therapy the Prison Service's policy is to use the resources of the National Health542W Service rather than to employ its own therapists. Prison medical officers have discretion to refer patients to a local hospital in suitable circumstances or to arrange for a therapist to vist the establishment. There are no plans to change these arrangements.