HC Deb 29 November 1977 vol 940 cc120-1W
Mr. Cohen

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of (a) prisoners and (b) young prisoners are estimated to be illiterate; what percentage has reading ages below 8 years, and what percentage below 10 years; and if all these prisoners have access to remedial education classes.

Mr. John

There is no precise definition of what constitutes an illiterate. In the assessment of reading ability, variations occur according to the particular test used. In a sampled population of prisoners 3 per cent. were assessed as being unable to read; 8.1 per cent. as having a reading age of less than 8 years; and 15.4 per cent. as having a reading age of less than 10 years. For young prisoners the figures were 3.5 per cent., 7.6 per cent. and 20.6 per cent. respectively. All these prisoners have access to remedial education classes.

Mr. Kilroy-Silk

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is yet in a position to announce the number of mentally ill people held in imprisonment; and what steps are being taken to transfer them to hospital.

Mr. John

I can confirm that there are, in the opinion of prison medical officers, some hundreds of people in prison suffering from mental disorder whose condition warrants detention in hospital for medical treatment, including a substantial number suffering from mental illness. I am not yet ready to offer a more precise estimate. The transfer of a prisoner to a hospital for treatment under the provisions of the Mental Health Act 1959 is in practice authorised only with the agreement of the hospital authorities and difficulties can, therefore, arise where the hospital staff consider that they are unable to offer treatment or do not have appropriate facilities. In a number of cases because such difficulties have been foreseen the prison authorities have judged it not worth while to seek a place. Discussions are taking place with the Department of Health and Social Security to explore what can be done to improve the position, but the problem is a difficult one.