Mr. Alan WilliamsTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many suicides there have been in(a) all United Kingdom prisons and (b) Swansea prison in each of the last 10 years; how many were prisoners on remand; and how many were prisoners under the age of 21 years.
§ Mr. MellorThe table gives the figures for inmates held in prison establishments in England and Wales in each year since 1980.
15W
Year Total suicides1 Suicides by remand inmates1 Suicides by inmates under the age of 211 1980 21 12 2 1981 16 7 1 1982 17 8 4 1983 21 9 2 1984 23 12 2 1985 23 14 1 1986 17 12 3 1987 42 27 7 1988 30 19 7 1989 221 29 22 1 The table gives the number of deaths for which suicide verdicts were returned at the inquest. 2 Inquests have yet to be held on 14 other inmates who have died in 1989 and whose deaths are thought to have been suicides. Of these 11 were on remand and six were under the age of 21. Suicide verdicts have been returned on two inmates who died at Swansea prison during the same period, one in 1984 and one in 1988. Both were remand inmates. The inmate who died in 1984 was under the age of 21. An inquest has yet to be held on an 18 year-old remand inmate who died at Swansea prison on 4 November 1989.
Deaths of inmates in custody in Scotland and Northern Ireland are matters for my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.