§ Mrs. Hartasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a further statement about his proposal to set up a committee of inquiry following the incidents at the State Hospital, Carstairs, on 30th November 1976.
§ Mr. MillanSince the statement I made on 1st December, I have kept closely in touch with events at the hospital; and my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State has both visited the hospital and had a meeting with representatives of the executive committee of the Scottish Prison Officers Association and of the Carstairs staff.
I am glad to announce that Sheriff Principal Robert Reid, QC, has agreed to conduct the independent inquiry which I announced my intention to set up in my earlier statement. He will be assisted by assessors with appropriate experience in matters of security and in the psychiatric and nursing care of the type of patients at the State hospital. The assessor on security matters will be Mr. John Oliver, formerly Controller (Operations), Scottish Prison Service. The other assessors will be Dr. Peter Duncan Scott, Consultant Forensic Psychiatrist, Maudsley Hospital and the Home Office, and Mr. Alan Lee, Principal Nursing Officer, Parklane Hospital, Liverpool.
The terms of reference for the inquiry will be as follows:
To inquire into and report on the circumstances surrounding the escape of two patients from the State Hospital, Carstairs, on 30th November, 1976; on the arrangements (including both physical arrangements and methods of working) which presently exist in or in connection with the hospital as they affect the safety of staff, public and patients; and on any changes or additional measures which may be required to that end.I hope that it will now be possible to have a full resumption of normal duties by all members of staff.