Mentally Disordered Offenders (Hansard, 27 November 1992)

§ Mr. Yeo

The steering committee, chaired by Dr. John Reed, completed the review on schedule in July 1992. Earlier progress reports were made by my hon. Friend the Member for Loughborough (Mr. Dorrell) in his reply of 13 November 1991 at columns583–84 to my hon. Friend the Member for Cambridgeshire, South-East (M r. Paice) and in my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Bolton, North-East (Mr. Thurnham) on 2 June 1992 at columns 453–54.

We have already published nine consultation documents from the steering committee about the various issues considered in the review. The general direction proposed in these has been widely supported. The steering committee's final summary report, setting out the main conclusions it has reached, is published today and has been placed in the Library. The earlier consultative reports will be published by Her Majesty's Stationery Office in four volumes next month. The Departments are also making widely available a digest of some of the issues and initiatives identified during visits to local services.

In parallel with the final summary report we are issuing for consultation the report of an official working group on services for offenders with learning disabilities or autism and a discussion paper on racial and cultural issues. These are also available in the Library.

In the course of the review, the Government have reaffirmed that mentally disordered offenders who need care and treatment should receive it from health and personal social services rather than in the criminal justice system. We have also endorsed a series of guiding principles which point in particular to services being 878W provided, as far as is compatible with public safety, in more local and less institutional settings. As the final report makes clear, one of the keys to achieving this is joint working between the different agencies concerned at all levels.

Progress in many places has been stimulated both by the review itself and by the earlier Home Office circular 66/90 which gave advice on practical ways of diverting mentally disordered people from the criminal justice system and avoiding prosecution. We have identified mental illness as a key area in the White Paper "The Health of the Nation" (Cm 1986). This requires health authorities to include mentally disordered offenders in their strategic and purchasing plans. Regional directors of public health have now carried out initial assessments of needs and these will be developed in subsequent years. We are also spending £18 million this year on capital development of medium secure psychiatric units, against only £3 million in 1991–92.

We shall be considering carefully the recommendations set out in the final report, including their resource implications and other factors bearing on the possible pace of development. Much progress can be achieved by better use of existing services and resources and improved co-ordination between the responsible agencies. The protection afforded to health services for mentally disordered offenders, including those for patients with special needs, by NHS management executive letter (92)6 remains in force at least until March 1993. We are considering what steps should be taken to ensure an adequate level of services beyond that date.

To help in following up the review, and in maintaining the good co-operation between agencies which it has fostered, we are establishing a new advisory committee on mentally disordered offenders. This is being formed for three years with the following terms of reference: To advise the Department of Health and the Home Office on matters referred to it in connection with the provision and co-ordination of services for mentally disordered offenders and others requiring similar services, with particular reference to follow up action on the report of the joint departmental review of services; and to provide advice to the two departments on related issues which are referred to it.

The membership of the committee will be announced shortly.

We have already announced the establishment of two further advisory groups, also under Dr. Reed's chairmanship, to look at high security and related psychiatric provision and at the needs of people with psychopathic or personality disorder. These groups will be reporting in the early part of 1993.

My right hon. and hon. Friends and I believe that this review has made a major contribution to raising the service profile of mentally disordered offenders. We should like to renew our thanks to Dr. Reed and all those who have worked with him.