HC Deb 14 June 1994 vol 244 cc490-2W
Mr. Maclennan

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made as to the need for condoms to be supplied to prisoners known to be at risk of contracting or spreading the HIV virus.

Mr. Peter Lloyd

Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

Letter from D. Lewis to Mr. Robert Maclennan, dated 14 June 1994: The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question asking what assessment he has made as to the need for condoms to be supplied to prisoners known to be at risk of contracting or spreading the HIV virus. The Prison Service AIDS Advisory Committee has recently completed a review of all aspects of HIV in prisons including measures which need to be taken to prevent the spread of HIV infection amongst the prison population. The report of this review is now being considered. In addition the Prison Service has commissioned a study currently being carried out by the Institute of Psychiatry and the National AIDS Counselling Training Unit into risk behaviours amongst prisoners. The results of this study will be available in January 1995.

Mr. Maclennan

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what research is currently being conducted into the spread or prevalence of HIV and AIDS among prisoners; and when he expects this research to be concluded.

Mr. Peter Lloyd

Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

Letter from D. Lewis to Mr. Robert Maclennan, dated 14 June 1994: The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question asking what research is currently being conducted into the spread or prevalence of HIV and AIDS amongst prisoners. A pilot feasibility study into the prevalence of HIV amongst prisoners has recently been completed. This study was an extension of the Public Health Laboratory Service's series of unlinked anonymised HIV prevalence studies being carried out elsewhere in the community. The aim of the study was to ascertain whether it was possible to persuade prisoners to provide anonymously a sample of saliva for HIV testing and to answer a short questionnaire to determine the possible route of transmission. It is hoped that the results of the study will be available shortly.

Mr. Maclennan

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of prisons. have(a) full-time and (b) part-time HIV counsellors; and for how many hours each week, by institution.

Mr. Peter Lloyd

Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

Letter from R. Tilt to Mr. Robert Maclennan, dated 14 June 1994: The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your recent Question about Prison Service HIV counsellors. The Prison Service completed, in 1993, a programme of education and training of selected staff so as to provide in each establishment at least two centrally trained HIV counsellors. By the end of 1993, 200 prison staff had been trained in HIV counselling based on the World Health Organisation model for training in HIV counselling, as adapted by the Prison Service AIDS Advisory Committee for prisons in England and Wales. In addition, the Prison Service has 550 centrally trained HIV care and support officers. These officers, of whom there are also at least two in each establishment, have undergone a four day training course in HIV awareness. They are easily contacted by prison inmates who may have concerns about HIV, and who can then be referred to the internal HIV counsellors or external HIV counsellors if this is deemed necessary. There are no full-time HIV prison counsellors. All Prison Service HIV counsellors and care and support officers combine this work with other responsibilities—they are nurses, health care officers, discipline officers, psychologists, chaplains, probation officers, governors and prison medical officers. Prisoners with HIV infection who are well, are expected to be seen by prison medical officers at least on a three monthly basis for full clinical and laboratory monitoring of their state of health. Prisoners with HIV infection may of course request to see a care and support officer, HIV counsellor and/or a prison medical officer whenever they feel this is necessary. It is not therefore possible to say how much HIV counselling by hours per week each prisoner with HIV infection receives.