§ Mr. SheermanTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many prisoners are recorded as having attempted suicide in 1990 and 1991;
(2) how many prisoners committed acts of self-injury in 1990 and in 1991 which resulted in medical treatment;
(3) how many 15-year-old boys and girls in prison attempted suicide in 1990 and 1991.
§ Mrs. Rumbold[holding answer 10 February 1992]: In 1991 there was a recorded total of 2,846 acts of deliberate self-harm by prisoners in Her Majesty's Prison Service establishments. (Some prisoners committed acts of deliberate self-harm on more than one occasion.) Of the total, 11 were committed by 15-year-old prisoners.
All reported acts of deliberate self-harm result in medical treatment. There may be some cases, however, in which the prisoners harmed themselves in a minor way but did not bring this to the attention of staff, and so the injury would not have been reported.
It is not possible to distinguish reliably how many acts of deliberate self-harm were suicidal in intent.
The information requested for 1990 could be provided only at disproportionate cost.