Mrs. BrowningTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what consideration she has given to the Reed report about health services for mentally ill offenders.
§ Mr. YeoI refer my hon. Friend to my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Teignbridge (Mr. Nicholls) on 27 November 1992 at columns873–74. We have endorsed the main principles set out in the report of the Department of Health/Home Office review of services for mentally disordered offenders. The White Paper on "The Health of the Nation" requires health authorities to include these services in their strategic and purchasing plans. Capital funding for medium secure psychiatric services has been further increased from £17 million in 1992–93 to £22.4 million in 1993–94. We are still considering a number of the detailed recommendations in the report. We will be assisted by the new national advisory committee on mentally disordered offenders whose membership was recently announced by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State.