HC Deb 16 February 1988 vol 127 c546W
Mr. Andrew Smith

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are his Department's current estimates of the number of mentally ill people discharged from prison each year into the community.

Mr. Douglas Hogg

This information is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Mr. Andrew Smith

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are his Department's current estimates of the number of mentally ill people currently held in Her Majesty's prisons.

Mr. Douglas Hogg

Our most recent estimate is that on 30 September 1987 there were 344 inmates who, in the opinion of prison medical officers, were suffering from mental disorder of a nature or degree which would satisfy the criteria for detention in hospital for medical treatment. 298 of these were mentally ill.

Back to