§ Mr. GoodladTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made as to 71W whether the courts are fully aware of the non-custodial options open to them, particularly their powers of remand to hospital for report or treatment under sections 35 and 36 of the Mental Health Act 1983, and of the facilities available in the health system; what trends in exercising such options have taken place since the report by the director of prison medical services on mentally disordered offenders; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. John PattenStatistics on the extent to which courts have made use of their powers under sections 35 and 36 of the 1983 Act since the publication of the report of the interdepartmental working group on mentally disordered offenders will be available in due course. We are also considering research into the remand prison population, with particular reference to the procedures for courts to obtain medical reports and the working of these provisions.
A handbook for the courts on the treatment of offenders already describes their powers under the 1983 Act, and we are preparing further guidance to the courts and other criminal justice services.