HC Deb 11 December 2003 vol 415 cc621-3W
Mr. Blunt

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many suicides there were among the female prison population in(a) 2001, (b) 2002 and (c) 2003 to date. [140452]

Paul Goggins

The information requested is provided in the following table:

Number of female self-inflicted deaths
2001 6
2002 9
20031 14
Total 29
1 to 26 November.

The Prison Service employs the term 'self-inflicted death' rather than 'suicide'. This includes all those deaths where it appears the person may have acted specifically to take his/her own life.

The prison population, and particularly the women's estate, contains a large number of prisoners with a combination of factors that raise their risk of suicide. These include psychiatric disorders, a history of self-harm, drug and alcohol abuse, homelessness, relationship problems and previous abuse, and family background problems. Since January 2001, there has been a 34 per cent. increase in the women prisoner population.

A proactive three-year strategy to develop policies and practices to reduce prisoner suicide and manage self-harm in prisons commenced in April 2001. The main principles of the strategy apply across all types of prisons and prisoners whether male or female. An investment of over £21 million through the three-year programme is enabling appropriate physical improvements to be made at six pilot sites, one of which is Eastwood Park prison and young offender institution.

Vera Baird

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of female prison establishments has the capacity to prescribe medications essential to detoxification in the evenings and at weekends. [141626]

Joan Ruddock

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of female prison establishments has the capacity(a) in the evenings and (b) at weekends to prescribe medications essential to detoxification. [142894]

Paul Goggins

All of the seven prison establishments that receive women direct from court have the capacity to prescribe medications essential to detoxification in the evenings and weekends.

Vera Baird

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of female prison establishments has a psychiatrically qualified doctor on duty(a) during the working day, (b) during the evening and (c) on a 24-hour basis. [141627]

Joan Ruddock

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of the female prison establishments have a psychiatrically qualified doctor on duty(a) during the working day, (b) during the evening and (c) on a 24-hour basis. [142893]

Paul Goggins

The information requested is not available centrally. As part of the programme to implement the commitments to improved mental health services for prisoners in the NHS Plan (2000), the NHS is funding provision of multi-disciplinary mental health in-reach services at 94 establishments during 2003–04, including 11 for women. By 2006 such services will be available to all prison establishments.

Vera Baird

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the budget for the current financial year is for(a) mental health care to women prisoners and (b) the Dangerous and Severe Personality Disorder programme (i) in total and (ii) per capita. [141619]

Joan Ruddock

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the estimated budget is(a) to provide mental health care to women prisoners and (b) for the Dangerous and Severe Personality Disorder programme (i) in total and (ii) per capita in 2003–04. [142895]

Paul Goggins

Funding for mental health services in prisons is not specifically identified or ring-fenced within prison budgets. "Changing the Outlook, a Strategy for Developing and Modernising Mental Health Services for Prisoners" (December 2001) estimated that around half of the Prison Service's then expenditure on health care was spent on mental health care. In the current financial year total Prison Service expenditure on health services in prisons in England and Wales (excluding the contractually managed prisons) is expected to be around £130 million, including £19 million on establishments holding only female prisoners. In addition, the Department of Health made £903,000 available for NHS mental health in-reach services in 11 women's prisons during 2003–04.

In the current financial year £17.039 million has been allocated to meet the Home Office contribution to the development and running costs of the Dangerous and Severe Personality Disorder Programme. It is, however, too early in the development of this programme to give meaningful per capita costs.