HC Deb 27 March 1980 vol 981 cc661-2W
34. Mr. Haynes

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will ensure medical records are available to the court, before a boy is sent to Send or New Hall detention centres for the short, sharp punishment.

35. Mr. Jim Marshall

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will ensure that medical records are available to the court before a boy is sent to Send or New Hall detention centres for the short, sharp sentence.

42. Mr. Leighton

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will ensure that medical records are available to the courts before a boy is sent to Send or New Hall detention centres for the short, sharp shock punishment.

Mr. Whitelaw

The tougher regimes pilot project will be established within existing legislation under which there is no power to require courts to consider a medical report or medical records before passing a detention centre sentence. Courts do, however, have power to call for a medical report on an offender's suitability for detention in a detention centre, or for medical records. The medical officers at New Hall and Send detention centres will consider whether persons received from the courts are physically or mentally unfit for the regime and if so arrangements will be made for transfer elsewhere.