§ Mr. John MorrisTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations she has received from the judiciary about the availability of secure hospital accommodation for mentally affected defendants; and if she will make a statement.
§ Mr. BowisThere have been occasions where judges have expressed concern about the availability of hospital places for defendants requiring admission under the Mental Health Act 1983. These have been resolved through local action.
The difficulties have centred mainly on the availability of medium secure psychiatric places. Up to 1979, following the 1975 Glancy report, no medium secure places had been developed. There are now more than 700 purpose-built medium secure places in national health service hospitals in England and a further 600 places in interim NHS units and the private sector. We have allocated more than £45 million from central funds over the period 1991–95 to increase the number of NHS places to nearly 1,200 by the end of 1996.