§ Lord Actonasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they have implemented in women's prisons in England and Wales the recommendations of the Chief Inspector of Prisons in Women in Prison: A Thematic Review (paragraph 9.31) about screening for breast and cervical cancers. [HL2578]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord Williams of Mostyn)The Prison Service is committed to ensuring that women in prison have access to the same standards of breast and cervical cancer screening as are available to women in the community. Almost all establishments holding women prisoners provide a cervical cancer screening service, and a number also have arrangements in place with the NHS for breast screening. Progress is being made to achieve full coverage and equivalent standard of screening to the NHS, and to maintain continuity with NHS screening programmes in the community. A new health care standard, planned to be published by March 1999, will set out the arrangements for achieving this.