§ Mr. CohenTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will take appropriate action to prevent discriminatory practices against prisoners in United Kingdom prisons who may be HIV positive or have developed symptoms of AIDS.
§ Mr. Douglas HoggIn England and Wales the management of prisoners identified as HIV antibody positive is a matter for the governor and medical officer, taking account of local circumstances and the needs of the individual prisoner. Central guidelines stress the importance of enabling those who are well to participate as fully as possible in normal prison life. This is also emphasised in staff training and in an educational package which will shortly be available for use with prisoners. Plans for the care and support of prisoners who develop AIDS or AIDS-related illness are modelled on best practice in the general community. Referral to specialised facilities within the National Health Service is arranged when this is clinically indicated.
Practice elsewhere in the United Kingdom is a matter for my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Scotland and Northern Ireland.