HC Deb 23 May 1980 vol 985 c412W
Mr. Arthur Lewis

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the expenditure made in 1979 on drugs in prisons in England; what is the breakdown of expenditure for each prison; and what was spent on psychotropic and medical drugs.

Mr. Whitelaw

Information in the form requested is not readily available. The total expenditure by the prison service in 1979–80 on medicines, drugs, dressings and sundry clinical and pharmaceutical items was £621,000. An analysis of this expenditure to show each prison separately or to give separate expenditure figures for psychotropic and other drugs could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Mr. Arthur Lewis

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he plans to monitor the use of psychotropic drugs in prisons.

Mr. Whitelaw

While clinical decisions are matters for the doctors concerned, the medical services in all establishments are subject to inspectorial and advisory visits from supervising senior medical officers, regional principal medical officers, and doctors in headquarters and, where appropriate, there are discussions between the doctors concerned about prescribing matters.