§ Mr. Kilroy-Silkasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons were (a) cautioned, (b) proceeded against and (c) imprisoned for drunkenness in the last year for which figures are available; and how many in the latter category were women.
§ Mr. JohnThe information is as follows:
PERSONS CAUTIONED, PROCEEDED AGAINST AND SENTENCED TO IMMEDIATE IMPRISONMENT FOR SIMPLE DRUNKENNESS OR DRUNKENNESS WITH AGGRAVATION England and Wales 1975 Cautioned … 511 Proceeded against … 102,220 Sentenced to immediate imprisonment— Males … 490 Females … 33 Total … 523
§ Mr. Kilroy-Silkasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if teams in prison to identify with and deal with drink problems have yet been set up;
596W(2) if he has experimented with grouping drunkenness offenders together in prison in a treatment unit geared specifically to their needs;
(3) if the model treatment unit has yet been established in a closed prison to cater for medium and long-sentence prisoners with drink problems.
§ Mr. JohnI would refer my hon. Friend to the replies given to his Questions on 13th October 1975.—[Vol. 897, c. 576.]—While pressure on the resources of the prison system continues there is no likelihood of forming special teams or units to identify and deal with the drink problems of prisoners.
Training is, however, continuing to help prison staff generally to recognise alcoholism and its associated problems; and, despite a number of vacant prison medical officer posts, specialist treatment is still widely available.
The unit established at Wormwood Scrubs prison continues to provide treatment for a range of addiction problems including alcoholism.
§ Mr. Kilroy-Silkasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if advice is given to police officers on the problem of and treatment facilities for habitual drunken offenders.
§ Dr. SummerskillThe initial training of police officers includes instruction on the general law relating to drunkenness. It is for the chief officer of police for the area concerned to give further advice to his officers, taking into account any special circumstances or facilities locally. In addition, last year my Department issued a circular to chief officers of police about Section 34 of the Criminal Justice Act 1972 which, inter alia, explained what progress was being made in the establishment of detoxification centres. Chief officers are advised individually of any intention to approve an establishment as a medical treatment centre for alcoholics in their area.
§ Mr. Kilroy-Silkasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) men and (b) women were imprisoned for drunkenness in each of the 597W last five years; and what was the average length of sentence.
§ Mr. JohnThe information which is available is as follows:
PERSONS SENTENCED TO IMMEDIATE IMPRISONMENT FOR SIMPLE DRUNKENNESS OR DRUNKENNESS WITH AGGRAVATION Year Number of persons Average length of prison sentence (days) 1971 Males … … … 527 28 Females … … … 15 27 1972 Males … … … 554 27 Females … … … 23 33 1973 Males … … … 482 27 Females … … … 15 31 1974 Males … … … 423 38 Females … … … 13 32 1975 Males … … … 490 29 Females … … … 33 29
§ Mr. Kilroy-Silkasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what use has so far been made of Section 34 of the Criminal Justice Act 1972; and how many persons were involved.
§ Dr. SummerskillThe only establishment approved so far for the purposes of Section 34 of the Criminal Justice Act 1972 by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Services as a medical treatment centre for alcoholics was opened in Leeds on 3rd May last year. Provisional figures for the period up to the end of 1976 show that there were 462 admissions to the centre under Section 34 of the Criminal Justice Act 1972. These admissions involved 197 different persons.