HC Deb 22 July 1999 vol 335 cc628-9W
Mr. Hesford

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) when the(a) Joint Prison Health Policy Unit and (b) Joint Prison Health Care Task Force was established; [92198]

(2) if he will list the members of (a) the Joint Prison Health Policy Unit and (b) the Joint Prison Health Care Task Force. [92209]

Mr. George Howarth

Following the review on the future organisation of prisoners' health care, my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary announced in a reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Basildon (Angela Smith) on 29 March 1999,Official Report, columns 556–58, that a Joint Prison Health Policy Unit and a Joint Prison Health Care Task Force would be established in the course of 1999.

To enable an early start to be made with prison health reform, acting appointments to the positions of head of the Prison Health Care Task Force and Prison Health Policy Unit were made on 14 July 1999. Mr. Peter Coe is leading the Task Force, and Dr. Michael Longfield the Policy Unit, pending substantive appointments to be made following an open competition. Both posts are being advertised in the course of July 1999. Other staff appointments are expected to be made in the course of this autumn.