§ Mr. de Freitasasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department the number of men and women, respectively, who have been certified in prison during the last three years under the Lunacy Acts and under the Mental Deficiency Acts, respectively; what is the number of such 6W persons committed to Broadmoor and how many were under 21 years of age; and on what principle certified prisoners are selected for committal to Broadmoor.
§ Sir D. Maxwell FyfeThe following table shows the number of persons certified insane in prisons or Borstal Institutions in England and Wales and removed to Broadmoor Institution or to a local mental hospital under Section 2 of the Criminal Lunatics Act, 1884, during the years 1951, 1952 and 1953. The table does not include persons found insane on arraignment or guilty but insane The figures for 1953 are provisional.
Two of the persons removed to Broad-moor Institution, both male, were under 21 years of age.
Year Institution to which removed Number of persons certified Male Female Total 1951 Broadmoor institution. 21 — 21 Local mental hospital. 84 14 98 1952 Broadmoor institution. 17 1 18 Local mental hospital. 97 13 110 1953 Broadmoor institution. 12 1 13 Local mental hospital. 87 18 105 The following table shows, for the years 1951, 1952 and 1953, the number of persons certified mentally defective while detained in prisons or Borstal institutions.
Persons so certified are not sent to Broad-moor, but to appropriate institutions for mental defectives.
Year Males Females Total 1951 … 39 3 42 1952 … 61 8 69 1953 … 50 4 54 Each case is considered according to its particular circumstances, but, in general, persons who are certified insane while serving sentences of imprisonment or 7W Borstal training are not sent to Broad-moor Institution unless they are considered to be unsuitable for removal to a local mental hospital, by reason of the violent and dangerous character of their insanity, or of their previous history, or of the nature of the offence of which they have been convicted.