§ Mr. SheermanTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he received on his recent visit to Wandsworth prison on the level of post-release supervision of discharged mentally disordered prisoners.
§ Mrs. RumboldMy right hon. Friend has made no recent visits to Wandsworth prison.
§ Mr. SheermanTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of prisoners at present serving sentences in Her Majesty's prisons suffer from some kind of mental disorder; what percentage of these are receiving psychiatric treatment during their sentence; and what percentage receive specialist care upon release.
§ Mrs. RumboldInformation is not available in the form requested. However, Prison Service medical officers carry out medical monitoring at regular intervals within their establishments. The most up-to-date information held centrally is for September. At that time, approximately 3.5 per cent. of prisoners were receiving some form of mental health care.
Where appropriate, arrangements are made for specialist care to continue after release. Short of an order under the Mental Health Act 1983, there are no powers to make medical treatment, or attendance for treatment, compulsory.