§ 30. Mr. Dribergasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT a table showing the number of suicides since 1970 inclusive of persons detained in prisons and remand establishments, stating in which place these suicides occurred and the means used in each case.
§ Mr. CarlisleYes.
Following are the particulars for each of the three years ending 31st December 1972. They relate to prisons unless otherwise indicated:
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Method of Suicide Establishment 1970 Year 1971 1972 Total Bedding Hanging clothing Other Swallowed Poisonous Substance Cutting Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Albany … … 1 — — 1 — — — — 1 — Birmingham … … — — 1 1 1 — — — — — Bristol … … — — 1 1 — — — — — Brixton … … 1 2 1 4 1 1 2 — — — Cardiff remand centre … — 1 — 1 1 — — — — — Dartmoor … … — 1 — 1 — — 1 — — — Durham … … — 1 — 1 — — 1 — — — Exeter … … — 1 — 1 — — — — 1 — Leeds … … — 1 2 3 1 1 — 1 — — Leicester … … — — 1 1 1 — — — — — Lincoln … … 1 1 — 2 2 — — — — — Liverpool … … — 1 1 2 1 1 — — — — Morton Hall borstal … 1 — — 1 — — 1 — — — Pentonville … … 1 1 — 2 1 — — — — 1* Reading … … — 1 — 1 — 1 — — — — Wakefield … … — — 1 1 1 — — — — — Wandsworth … … — 1 3 4 2 2 — — — — Winchester … … — — 1 1 — — 1 — — — Wormwood Scrubs … … 1 1 1 3 — 3 — — — — Totals … … 6 13 13 32 13 9 6 1 2 1* * Died from fumes in car after failing to return from temporary release for home leave.
§ Mr. Parryasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many attacks on prison officers took place in prisons or remand centres in the United Kingdom in each of the past five years.
§ Mr. CarlisleMy noble Friend the Minister of State is obtaining such information as is available and will write to the hon. Member.
§ Mr. Parryasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners have been detained in prisons or remand centres in each of the past five years, to the latest convenient date.
§ Mr. CarlisleI would refer the hon. Member to the information about the population of prisons and remand centres given in the annual report on the work of the Prison Department and to the information about persons received into custody in the associated volume of Statistical Tables. The reports for 1971 were presented to Parliament as Cmnd. 5037 and 5156. They relate to England and Wales.
§ Mr. Parryasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prison officers have been employed in prisons or remand centres in each of the past five years.
§ Mr. CarlislePrison officer grade staff at prisons and remand centres in England and Wales at the end of 1968 and 1972 numbered 7,572 and 9,357, respectively. I regret that corresponding information for the intervening years is not available.
§ Mr. Parryasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many attempted suicides occurred in prisons or remand centres in the United Kingdom in each of the past five years.
§ Mr. CarlisleThe following table gives the available information in respect of England and Wales:
Males Females 1968 Not available Not available 1969 356 12 1970 300 27 1971 304 17 1972 296 7
§ Mr. Parryasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many suicides took place in prisons or remand 178W centres in the United Kingdom in each of the past years;
(2) if he will list in the OFFICIAL REPORT the prisons or remand centres where suicides took place in each of the past five years.
§ Mr. CarlisleThe following table gives the information relating to suicides in prisons and remand centres in England and Wales:
1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 Albany — 1 1 — — Birmingham — — — — 1 Bristol — — — — 1 Brixton 4 2 1 2 1 Cardiff — — — 1 — Chelmsford 1 — — — — Dartmoor — — — 1 — Dorchester — 1 — — — Durham — — — 1 — Exeter — — — 1 — Leeds — — — 1 2 Leicester — — — — 1 Lincoln 1 — 1 1 — Liverpool — 1 — 1 1 Maidstone — 1 — — — Manchester 1 — — — — Pentonville — 3 1 1 — Reading — — — 1 — Risley 3 2 — — — Stafford 1 — — — — Swansea — 2 — — — Wakefield — — — — 1 Wandsworth 3 2 — 1 3 Winchester — — — — 1 Wormwood Scrubs. — 3 — 1 1 TOTAL 14 18 4 13 13