§ Lord Aveburyasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will confirm that the scheme for seconding prison medical officers to Broadmoor for a few months, which had to be terminated in 1976 because the shortage of prison medical officers made it impossible to spare them from their normal duties, is now to be reintroduced; whether the practical arrangements, when worked out, will be published; and whether they will now consider extending the scheme so that doctors in the special hospitals can be seconded for periods of a few months to the dispersal prisons.
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord Elton)The scheme was reintroduced in September 1982 with the secondment of a prison medical officer to Broadmoor hospital for six months. We hope to arrange two secondments each year but we do not propose to publish the detailed practical arrangements. There are no present plans to introduce arrangements for doctors in the special hospitals to serve in prisons, but this possibility will be considered.