§ Mr. Stallardasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many female prisoners are currently serving their sentences in male prisons in the United Kingdom; and if he will give details.
§ Mr. CarlisleThe position in respect of England and Wales remains as stated in my reply to the similar Question by the hon. Member on 11th December.—[Vol. 866, c.113.]
§ Mr. Thomas Coxasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT the procedures that are followed in forced feeding of a prisoner on hunger strike.
§ Mr. CarlisleThe procedure to be followed if a prisoner refuses to eat and has to be artificially fed to maintain his health is a matter for the judgment of the medical officer. The normal practice is for the prisoner to be moved to the prison hospital and for him to be fed a liquid diet consisting of a proprietary food which, when mixed with milk, provides sufficient nourishment. If the prisoner will not take the liquid diet voluntarily, he is given it by means of a tube which is passed into his stomach.42W A dental gag may have to be used if it is necessary to hold his mouth open.
§ Mr. Beithasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is now able to indicate at which of the "dispersal" prisons the control units for intractable prisoners referred to in his statement of 11th May 1973 will be located.
§ Mr. CarlisleAt Wormwood Scrubs and Wakefield.
§ Mr. Weitzmanasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what facilities exist for prisoners to take courses in the Open University.
§ Mr. Thomas Coxasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) at how many prisons in the United Kingdom there are no facilities for prisoners to take courses with the Open University;
(2) how many people serving prison sentences who have applied for courses with the Open University have been refused; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. CarlisleThe experimental facilities provided at two prisons in England and Wales in 1971 have since been extended to six others. Two more will be added in 1975. These 10 prisons are being given priority over the other 61, as regards the provision of special facilities, because they contain the majority of prisoners who are likely to want to follow Open University courses and are serving sentences of sufficient length to enable them to complete each year's prescribed units of study. The special facilities provided include day release from work without loss of earnings, tutorial assistance, access to radio and television, and payment of fees and provision of materials from public funds.
Of the 172 applications for courses known to the Prison Department to have been made by serving prisoners in the prisons in England and Wales now in the scheme, 21 were subsequently withdrawn by the applicants themselves; 22 failed to satisfy the prison authorities' criterion that the applicants should be in a prison in the scheme long enough to complete a one-year unit of study; and four were held over because the facilities available in the prisons concerned were oversubscribed or, in particular cases, because 43W more supervision would have been required than could be provided.
The remaining 125 were accepted by the Open University and prison authorities.