HC Deb 14 December 1999 vol 341 cc144-5W
Mr. Simon Hughes

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the total number of(a) incidents of concerted indiscipline, (b) incidents of self harm and (c) suicides in each Prison Service establishment and in total in (i) 1999 to date, (ii) 1998, (iii) 1997 and (iv) 1992; and if he will make a statement. [102658]

Mr. Boateng

The information requested is given in tables which have been placed in the Library.

The Government are committed to doing everything possible to try to reduce the number of self-inflicted deaths and incidents of self-harm in prisons. The Prison Service is developing a whole range of additional measures to address this issue and to provide further help and protection to those considered to be at risk of self-harm; this work is being informed by the recommendations of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons' Thematic Review published in May of this year.

The Prison Service is also increasing the involvement of external interest groups through a regular working group and in projects and research into suicides. There has been for some time a close working relationship with the Samaritans who have a great deal of expertise in this area. Listener schemes, whereby prisoners offer support to fellow prisoners in crisis, are now established in over 100 prisons in England and Wales, the majority of which are supported by the Samaritans.

In addition, instructions and guidance to staff on caring for the suicidal are being re-examined and drawn together in a new Prison Service Order (PSO) which it is hoped will be ready for issue in April 2000. This will highlight good practice and strengthen strategies to provide care for those prisoners at risk.

There has been a substantial decrease in the number of concerted acts of indiscipline since 1992 (other than a brief rise in 1998). The Prison Service routinely monitors trends to detect any increase in the seriousness and frequency of acts of indiscipline. In the meantime, it continues to develop control and restraint techniques to ensure that staff can respond effectively to these incidents when they occur.