§ Mr. KeyTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many tests for HIV antibodies were carried out in prisons in Scotland in the last year for which figures are available; and how many were positive.
§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonComprehensive figures are not available for past years. So far this year, at least 222 inmates in Scottish penal establishments have been tested for HIV antibodies. Of those tests, 18 proved positive.
§ Mr. KeyTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what arrangements are made for clinical and psychological monitoring and care of HIV positive prisoners in Scotland.
§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonClinical monitoring and care of HIV positive prisoners is in the hands of prison medical officers, who consult outside colleagues and specialists as they judge necessary. If such prisoners require for clinical purposes to visit NHS facilities, appropriate arrangements are made. In some establish-ments regular clinics for HIV positive prisoners are run by NHS specialists. Full psychological services are provided within prisons, and on the counselling side staff are given specific training in dealing with HIV positive prisoners. Additionally, expert external counsellors are increasingly being made use of in prisons.