§ Mr. WorthingtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what has been the number of patients at Carstairs hospital who have been kept there principally because(a) they are mentally disturbed criminals, (b) they are 242W mentally ill but not criminals, (c) they are mentally handicapped and (d) other reasons for each of the past five years.
§ Mr. Michael Forsyth[holding answer 16 January 1991]: Patients at the state hospital are classified as either restricted or state patients or detained non-restricted patients. Restricted patients have either been convicted of, or have been alleged to have committed, a criminal offence, but are considered by medical opinion to be suffering from a treatable mental disorder and to constitute a serious danger to the public. Detained patients will have previously been receiving treatment in ordinary psychiatric hospitals for mental disorder on a compulsory basis but have become sufficiently dangerous either to themselves or others to require to be detained in the secure conditions at Carstairs. The majority of these will not have committed any criminal offences.
The numbers in the categories requested are as follows:
(a)Mentally disturbed patients who have committed offences (b)Patients who are Mentally ill (c)1 Patients who have mental handicap Other 1986 157 70 42 — 1987 146 64 49 — 1988 148 68 48 — 1989 163 66 40 — 1990 163 59 44 — 1 These patients are also included under (a) and (b) Notes: The figures are at 31 December in each year.