HC Deb 09 March 1990 vol 168 cc882-3W
Mr. Alton

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners and prison officers have been vaccinated against hepatitis B by prison medical officers in each year since 1984.

Mr. Mellor

This information is not available centrally.

Mr. Alton

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many prisoners have been diagnosed as infected with the hepatitis B virus while serving a prison sentence or detained in a remand centre;

(2) what information he has as to the number of prisoners who have contacted the hepatitis B virus while serving a prison sentence or detained in a remand centre.

Mr. Mellor

Information about the number of identified cases of hepatitis B infection reported by prison medical officers was given on 2 March in reply to an earlier question by the hon. Member at column350. Cases in which the infection was thought to have been acquired while the prisoner was in custody are not separately recorded.

Mr. Alton

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will give the figures for the rate of infection by hepatitis B for(a) prisoners and (b) the general population.

Mr. Mellor

The aggregate of identified acute and chronic (carrier) cases reported by prison medical officers in England and Wales for the year ended 31 March 1989 (the last year for which information is available) was 347. Some of the cases identified may have been counted more than once. This figure represents 0.7 per cent. of the average daily prison population and 0.3 per cent. of the prisoners received during the year.

Information relating to the general population is a matter for my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Health.

Mr. Alton

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will place in the Library a copy of the guidelines issued by the director of prison medical services concerning vaccination policy against hepatitis B for inmates of prisons.

Mr. Mellor

The guidelines were issued on 22 August 1989 in a letter to prison medical officers. A copy has been placed in the Library.

Mr. Alton

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if inmates of long-term custodial institutions are defined as belonging to a high-risk behaviour group; and how many have been vaccinated against hepatitis B since 1984.

Mr. Mellor

The director of prison medical services has defined the groups who are at high risk of hepatitis B infection as parenteral drug misusers and individuals who frequently change sexual partners. Prison medical officers have been advised to consider offering vaccination to any prisoner identified as belonging to one of these groups who is likely to remain in the prison system long enough to take advantage of the full course of three injections over six months. The offer is not restricted to prisoners in particular types of establishment. The number of vaccinated is not centrally recorded.

Mr. Alton

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what procedures are used in the medical inquiry and examination of prisoners at the reception stages to determine if a prisoner is infected by hepatitis B or is at risk of contracting the disease.

Mr. Mellor

All prisoners on first reception are asked to complete a form which includes questions designed to establish among other things whether they have consulted their doctor recently; are receiving any form of treatment; have ever had a serious illness (hepatitis is given as an example) or been in hospital; or have ever taken drugs. This information is available to the medical officer carrying out the reception medical examination. The procedure followed in the examination is a matter for clinical discretion.