HC Deb 29 November 1978 vol 959 cc206-8W
Mr. Kilroy-Silk

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department at what prison each of the 11 suicides by men occurred in 1977.

Dr. Summerskill:

Canterbury, Cardiff, Gartree, Leeds, Parkhurst, Pucklechurch, Shrewsbury, Stafford, Swansea, Wakefield and Wormwood Scrubs.

Mr. Kilroy-Silk

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the weekly cost of keeping a prisoner in prison.

Dr. Summerskill:

In 1976–77, the last financial year for which full figures are available, the average weekly cost of keeping a person in custody in England and Wales was £85. This average cost covers all expenditure required to operate the Prison Service, and to maintain the prison system. It is estimated that this figures will be about £112 per week in the current financial year.

Mr. Kilroy-Silk

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the cause of death of the woman prisoner who died in custody in 1977; what was her age; what was her offence; and why she was not released.

Dr. Summerskill:

The information requested is as follows:

Natural causes (cardio-respiratory failure due to asthma attack); age 30; theft; although the prisoner was under treatment for asthma, her death was sudden and unexpected.

Age Offence Place of death Cause of death
1. 25 Robbery HMP Albany Epileptiform convulsions.
2. 34 Theft and burglary NHS hospital Cardio-respiratory failure; myocardial, splenic and renal infarcts.
3. 37 Fraud NHS hospital Intracerebral, intraventricular and subarachnoid haemorrhage.
4. 61 Fraud NHS hospital Coronary thrombosis.
5. 50 Violence against the person HMP Brixton Coronary thrombosis.
6. 56 Fraud NHS hospital Coronary thrombosis.
7. 51 Arson NHS hospital Coronary thrombosis.
8. 48 Fine default (drunkenness) HMP Dorchester Tuberculous bronchopneumonia.
9. 44 Burglary NHS hospital Heart failure due to alcoholic cardiomyopathy.
10. 47 Theft HMP Durham Heart failure due to mycocardial degeneration.
11. 63 Burglary HMP Ford Coronary thrombosis.
12. 46 Theft HMP Leeds Pneumonia resulting from fracture of ribs sustained before reception.
13. 47 Wandering abroad NHS hospital Chronic bronchitis and emphysema.
14. 54 Criminal damage NHS hospital Bronchopneumonia.
15. 22 Burglary NHS hospital Chronic renal failure due to sarcoidosis.
16. 56 Wounding HMP Parkhurst Coronary thrombosis.
17. 74 Violence against the person HMP Parkhurst Coronary thrombosis.
18. 55 Theft NHS hospital Coronary thrombosis.
19. 47 Conspiracy to rob NHS hospital Coronary artery occlusion.
20. 55 Handling stolen goods HMP Rudgate Carcinoma of the bronchus.
21. 36 Burglary and theft HMP Rudgate Myocardial infarction due to coronary occlusion.
22. 47 Indecent assault HMP Wakefield Myocardial fibrosis.
23. 73 Fraud NHS hospital Abdominal neurofibrosarcomatosis.
24. 62 Fraud NHS hospital Carcinoma of the bronchus
Most of these deaths were sudden and unexpected.

Mr. Kilroy-Silk

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what was the cause of death of each of the five men who died while in custody in 1977; and where they died.

Dr. Summerskill:

I assume that my hon. Friend has in mind the five deaths due to non-natural causes which occurred in 1977. One remand prisoner died by gunshot wounds sustained while resisting arrest following his escape during the course of a journey under escort from Leicester prison. One inmate died of head injuries inflicted by another inmate at Chelmsford prison; one died as a result of self-administration of drugs at Brixton prison; and two inmates—one at Stafford prison and one at Wakefield

Mr. Kilroy-Silk

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the cause of death of each of the 24 men who died from natural causes while in custody in 1977; what were their ages; what were their offences; and where each died and why they were not released.

Dr. Summerskill:

Following is the infomation requested:

prison—died as a result of cardiac inhibition and asphyxia caused by hanging.

Mr. Douglas-Mann

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many, and what proportion of, prisoners in prisons for which he is responsible are confined to their cells for periods exceeding 18 hours per day; and whether such confinement is conducive to their rehabilitation.

Dr. Summerskill:

The information is not available in the form requested. Conditions vary widely from prison to prison, and from time to time in the same prison.

Prison regimes aim to enable prisoners to have as much activity in association with others as circumstances allow.