§ Mr. SheermanTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which proposals of the interdepartmental working group of Home Office and DHSS officials on mentally disturbed offenders in the prison system in England and Wales have been implemented; and what is the timetable for implementation of the remaining proposals.
§ Mr. HurdThe Government welcomed the report of this working group, which laid a valuable base from which the two Departments are able to develop an improved response to the needs of mentally disorded people who come into conflict with the law.
All 16 recommendations were accepted by the Goverment. Work on the first recommendation has been completed with the revision of chapter 12 of the Home Office booklet for the courts on the treatment of offenders—"The Sentence of the Court"—a new edition of which is in the course of preparation. Information for the courts on the provision of places for the mentally disordered in a range of hospitals is being assembled and it is hoped thereby to implement recommendation 2 in the coming months. Recommendation 14 will be implemented in part shortly with the finalising and issue of revised prison department instructions which will include encouragement to medical officers to invite their counterparts in the community to visit and make personal assessments in suitable cases as to the continuing care of the mentally disturbed following release from prison. The subjects of recommendations 13, 15 and 16 call for continuing attention over time which it is firmly intended they shall receive on, respectively, the development of comprehensive secure provision in the community; stimulation of professional awareness of the range of requirements; and the improvement of co-ordination and communication between policy makers and service providers. The remaining recommendations have been implemented.