§ Mr. HealdTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many staff vacancies there are in the mental health sector of the NHS, broken down by region. [67972]
§ Mr. Hutton[holding answer 8 July 2002]I refer the hon. Member to the response I gave the hon. Member for Isle of Wight (Mr. Turner) today.
§ Dr. Evan HarrisTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many remanded prisoners were transferred under the provisions of section 48 of the Mental Health Act 1983 in each of the last six years, including the most recent year for which figures are available. [70239]
§ Hilary BennI have been asked to reply.
Section 48 of the Mental Health Act 1983 empowers the Home Secretary to transfer people from prison to hospital who require urgent treatment in a psychiatric hospital. The section covers those remanded by the courts to custody; those convicted but awaiting sentence; those detained under the Immigration Act 1971; and civil prisoners.
Figures for remand prisoners only are not available. The figures are for all four categories.
1098W
Number 1995 473 1996 481 1997 495 1998 482 1999 464 2000 393
§ Mr. HealdTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how much of the money to improve wards and conditions for psychiatric patients announced on 6 April 2001 was spent. [68148]
§ Jacqui Smith[holding answer 11 July 2002]£3,890,200 was spent in the financial year 2001–02.
§ Mr. HealdTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to improve the monitoring of children for the first signs of the onset of mental illness. [67947]
§ Jacqui Smith[holding answer 8 July 2002]I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave him on 24 April 2002,Official Report, column 351W, regarding current mental health promotion and early intervention services for children and adolescents. Additionally, under the NHS Plan, 50 early intervention services will be established over the next three years to reduce treatment delay in psychosis. All young people who experience a first episode of psychosis such as schizophrenia will receive the early and intensive support they need. This is expected to benefit 7,500 young people in the 14–35 age range each year. The early detection of the onset of mental illness is also an issue we expect to consider in the child and adolescent mental health services strand of the children's national service framework on which work is currently progressing.
§ Mr. Andrew TurnerTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many vacancies exist in(a) clinical psychology and (b) psychiatry in each health authority. [58841]
§ Mr. HuttonThe number of vacancies and the vacancy rates for clinical psychology and consultants in psychiatry and psychotherapy have been placed in the Library.