HC Deb 12 February 1985 vol 73 cc91-2W
Mr. Kilroy-Silk

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his reply of 25 January, Official Report, columns 535–37, if he will indicate in each case the cause of death of prisoners who died in 1983 either in prison, on the way to hospital, or in hospital.

Mr. Mellor

The information requested is as follows (the numbers correspond to those given in reply to the hon. Member's earlier question on 25 January, at columns535–37):

Died in Establishment

  1. 1. Misadventure: massive pulmonary embolism
  2. 2. Open verdict: asphyxia by hanging
  3. 3. Misadventure: asphyxia by hanging
  4. 4. Suicide: asphyxia by hanging
  5. 5. Misadventure: asphyxia by hanging
  6. 6. Natural causes: asphyxia, epileptiform fit
  7. 7. Suicide: asphyxia by hanging
  8. 8. Misadventure: cerebral anoxia, drug and alcohol withdrawal and hepatitis due to chronic alcohol and drug abuse
  9. 9. Suicide: asphyxia by hanging
  10. 10. Suicide: asphyxia by hanging
  11. 11. Suicide: asphyxia by hanging
  12. 12. Natural causes: severe myocardial ischaemia due to coronary artery atheroma
  13. 13. Natural causes: asthmatic condition
  14. 14. Suicide: asphyxia by hanging
  15. 15. Suicide: asphyxia by hanging
  16. 16. Natural causes: myocardial infarction
  17. 17. Natural causes: peritonitis
  18. 18. Natural causes: myocardial degeneration due to coronary stenosis due to coronary atheroma
  19. 19. Open verdict: asphyxia by hanging
  20. 20. Suicide: died after cutting wrist with razor blade
  21. 21. Suicide: asphyxia by hanging
  22. 22. Misadventure: heart attack
  23. 23. Suicide: asphyxia by hanging
  24. 24. Suicide: asphyxia by hanging
  25. 25. Suicide: asphyxia by hanging
    26. 92
  26. 26. Natural causes: left ventricular hypertrophy, suboartic stenosis, myocardial ischaemia
  27. 27. Suicide: asphyxia by hanging
  28. 28. Natural causes: coronary occlusion
  29. 29. Suicide: asphyxia by hanging
  30. 30. Suicide: asphyxia by hanging
  31. 31. Suicide: asphyxia by hanging
  32. 32. Suicide: asphyxia by hanging
  33. 33. Suicide: asphyxia by hanging
  34. 34. Natural causes: coronary thrombosis, coronary atheroma
  35. 35. Natural causes: asphyxia, status epilepticus
  36. 36. Natural causes: myocardial infarction, coronary occlusion, atheroma
  37. 37. Suicide: asphyxia by hanging
  38. 38. Natural causes: hypertrophic cardio myopathy/bronchopneumonia
  39. 39. Natural causes: acute left ventricular failure, coronary atherosclerosis
  40. 40. Suicide: asphyxia by hanging
  41. 41. Natural causes: acute respiratory failure subsequent to asthmatic attack with associated chest infection
  42. 42. Natural causes: heart attack
  43. 43. Misadventure: asphyxia due to toxic fumes from cell fire
  44. 44. Natural causes: inhalation of vomit fluid during a fit

Died in outside hospital or on way to hospital

  1. 1. Natural causes: haemorrhagic pneumonia
  2. 2. Natural causes: mixed sub-arachnoid and intra-cerebral haemorrhage
  3. 3. Natural causes: ruptured development cerebral aneurysm
  4. 4. Natural causes: coronary thrombosis*
  5. 5. Natural causes: brain tumour
  6. 6. Natural causes: acute viral meningitis
  7. 7. Natural causes: chronic peptic ulcer of duodenum
  8. 8. Natural causes: subarachnoid and intra-cerebral haemorrhage
  9. 9. Natural causes: cerebral infarction
  10. 10. Natural causes: heart attack
  11. 11. Natural causes: carcinoma of the lungs
  12. 12. Natural causes: cancer of the liver
  13. 13. Suicide: paraquat poisoning
  14. 14. Natural causes: heart attack
  15. 15. Natural causes: coronary occlusion, atheroma*
  16. 16. Open verdict: peritonitis
  17. 17. Natural causes: died following an epileptic fit
  18. 18. Natural causes: lung cancer
  19. 19. Open verdict: died after jumping from a hospital window
  20. 20. Natural causes: acute pneumonia

* Died on the way to hospital.

Mr. Kilroy-Silk

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if an inquest has now been completed on all those who died in penal establishments in 1984; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Mellor

The results of the inquest are now available in cases 48 and 57, as listed in reply to the hon. Member's earlier question on 25 January, at columns 534–36, and are as follows:

Cause of death

Case 48 — natural causes: kidney failure

Case 57 — suicide: asphyxia by hanging

Coroners' verdicts in the other nine cases are still awaited.