HC Deb 20 February 1989 vol 147 c500W
Mr. Sheerman

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many(a) suicides and (b) attempted suicides there were in prisons in England and Wales in 1988.

Mr. Douglas Hogg

Verdicts of suicide have been returned on 26 inmates who died in prison department establishments in England and Wales during 1988. Inquests have yet be be held on five other inmates who died in prison department custody during this period and whose deaths are thought to have been suicide.

Figures are not available for reported apparent suicide attempts for the calendar year 1988, but there were 343 reported instances in the period 1 April 1987 to 31 March 1988.

Mr. Sheerman

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many(a) suicides and (b) attempted suicides occurred in (i) Holloway, (ii) Brixton, (iii) Wormwood scrubs, (iv) Leeds, (v) Manchester, (vi) Birmingham, (vii) Liverpool and (viii) Wandsworth during 1988.

Mr. Douglas Hogg

The information requested is given in the following table:

Suicides Attempted suicides1
Holloway 0 19
Brixton 1 16
Wormwood Scrubs 2 9
Leeds 4 12
Manchester 2 8
Birmingham 2 11
Liverpool 0 27
Wandsworth 1 8
1 The number of incidents reported to the prison department as specific suicide attempts.