HC Deb 24 October 1994 vol 248 cc473-7W
Ms Ruddock

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the current estimate for the number of(a) sentenced prisoners and (b) unsentenced prisoners who are (i) mentally ill, (ii) drug misusers and (iii) alcohol addicted, in England and Wales.

Mr. Michael Forsyth

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 Derek Lewis to Ms Joan Ruddock, dated 24 October 1994: The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about the number of sentenced and unsentenced prisoners who are mentally ill, drug misusers, or alcohol addicted, in England and Wales. This information is not available in the form requested. The most up to date information held centrally is for 27 June 1994. On that day there were 174 mentally disordered prisoners awaiting transfer to NHS psychiatric facilities, 684 being treated in prison health care centres and 1,921 requiring mental health care. Information on drug misuse is taken from the study carried out by Professor Gunn et al from the Institute of Psychiatry and published in the report "Mentally Disordered Prisoners" in May 1991. This study of 1,751 sentenced male prisoners in England and Wales showed that before entering prison 43 per cent. had used cannabis, nine per cent. had used opiates, nine per cent. had used amphetamines and five per cent. had used cocaine. Within this group of prisoners eleven per cent. of adult male prisoners were classified as drug dependent, six per cent. of male young offenders and 23 per cent. of women prisoners were dependent. The Home Office were notified of 3,764 drug addicts identified within prison during 1993. There are currently no central records of the number of alcohol addicted prisoners in England and Wales. There has been little research on alcohol misuse by prisoners but such studies as have been done suggest that alcohol misuse by prisoners before imprisonment is considerably higher than in the general population. However, the Mentally Disordered Prisoners study found a prevalence of alcohol abuse where treatment was indicated in 8.6 per cent. of adult sentenced prisoners, 8.7 per cent. of male sentenced young offenders and 4.4 per cent. of sentenced women.

Ms Ruddock

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners in England and Wales were made subject to hospital orders under sections 37 and 41 of the Mental Health Act 1983; and how many were transferred to hospital under section 47 of the Mental Health Act 1983 in the year 1993–94.

Mr. Michael Forsyth

Reponsibility 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 Derek Lewis to Ms Joan Ruddock, dated 24 October 1994: The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about the number of prisoners in England and Wales made subject to hospital orders under sections 37 and 41 of the Mental Health Act 1983, and the number transferred to hospital under section 47 of the Mental Health Act 1983, in the year 1993–94. In the year 1993–94, 421 prisoners were made subject to hospital orders without restrictions (S37 Mental Health Act 1983) and 45 were made subject to hospital orders with restrictions (S37 and S41 Mental Health Act 1983). Transfers of convicted prisoners to hospital under section 47 of the Mental Health Act 1983 are recorded on a calendar year basis. 271 transfers took place during 1993.

Ms Ruddock

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the(a) certified normal accommodation, (b) operational capacity and (c) actual population at each prison in England and Wales at the latest available date.

Mr. Michael Forsyth

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 Derek Lewis to Ms Joan Ruddock, dated 24 October 1994: The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question on the certified normal accommodation, operational capacity and actual population at each prison in England and Wales at the latest available date. The latest available information is for 30 September and is given in the attached table.

Certified Normal Accommodation, Operational Capacity and Population in Prisons in England and Wales on 19 October 1994
National CNA in use OP cap Population
Acklington 658 658 616
Albany 436 436 431
Aldington 127 127 127
Ashwell 404 404 384
Askham Grange 146 146 124
Aylesbury 229 232 225
Certified Normal Accommodation, Operational Capacity and Population in Prisons in England and Wales on 19 October 1994
National CNA in use OP cap Population
Bedford 303 329 320
Belmarsh 841 841 759
Birmingham 567 850 762
Blakenhurst 649 649 642
Blantyre House 95 95 94
Blundeston 408 408 389
Brinsford 477 477 455
Bristol 423 473 460
Brixton 484 668 622
Brockhill 111 120 115
Bullingdon 635 635 642
Bullwood Hall 125 125 121
Camp Hill 378 441 391
Canterbury 184 275 262
Cardiff 334 450 420
Castington 300 300 268
Channings Wood 594 594 550
Chelmsford 251 416 349
Coldingley 292 292 282
Cookham Wood 120 140 131
Dartmoor 538 538 501
Deerbolt 417 417 386
Doncaster 771 773 767
Dorchester 138 232 199
Dover 316 316 301
Downview 287 291 270
Drake Hall 255 255 255
Durham 399 577 628
East Sutton Park 94 94 85
Eastwood Park 0 0 0
Elmley 637 637 619
Erlestoke 250 270 245
Everthorpe 318 318 231
Exeter 260 473 413
Featherstone 599 599 582
Feltham 842 842 807
Finnamore Wood 0 0 0
Ford 536 536 472
Frankland 447 447 421
Full Sutton 567 567 545
Garth 512 512 495
Gartree 277 277 265
Glen Parva 767 788 749
Gloucester 202 262 240
Grendon 190 186 185
Guys Marsh 240 240 203
Hollesley Bay 365 365 333
Haslar 127 127 125
Hatfield 180 180 152
Haverigg 394 394 341
Hewell Grange 156 179 168
High Down 629 629 626
Highpoint 679 679 572
Hindley 280 319 285
Holloway 517 532 499
Holme House 649 649 618
Hull 328 412 406
Huntercombe 240 240 219
Kingston 154 154 142
Kirkham 644 644 569
Kirklevington 86 86 82
Lancaster Farms 364 364 333
Lancaster 260 246 220
Latchmere House 151 151 142
Leeds 814 1,168 1,003
Leicester 192 348 346
Lewes 282 377 349
Leyhill 410 410 393
Lincoln 444 628 603
Lindholme 567 567 524
Littlehey 593 583 546
Liverpool 1,104 1,305 1,265
Certified Normal Accommodation, Operational Capacity and Population in Prisons in England and Wales on 19 October 1994
National CNA in use OP cap Population
Long Lartin 362 362 353
Low Newton 198 343 208
Maidstone 485 485 424
Manchester 827 969 896
Moorland 635 635 299
Morton Hall 168 168 1170
New Hall 169 181 175
North Sea Camp 201 201 1221
Northallerton 150 219 200
Norwich 333 478 350
Nottingham 222 222 206
Onley 520 520 494
Oxford 106 120 102
Parkhurst 253 253 224
Pentonville 559 765 747
Portland 420 420 398
Preston 342 536 501
Pucklechurch 56 81 61
Ranby 347 347 346
Reading 182 205 188
Risley 794 753 727
Rochester 294 330 253
Rudgate 287 300 272
Send 113 113 115
Shepton Mallet 158 211 197
Shrewsbury 168 307 259
Spring Hill 210 210 207
Stafford 358 530 521
Standford Hill 384 384 355
Stocken 396 396 394
Stoke Heath 300 300 233
Styal 211 260 248
Sudbury 413 348 341
Sudbury Foston 96 96 91
Swaleside 512 512 499
Swansea 151 220 222
Swinfen Hall 182 182 182
Thorn Cross 209 209 192
The Mount 484 484 492
The Verne 552 538 522
The Wolds 320 368 289
Thorp Arch 166 166 159
Usk 241 241 226
Wormwood Scrubs 714 1,050 752
Wakefield 727 727 700
Wandsworth 833 1,056 965
Wayland 580 580 550
Wellingborough 344 314 308
Werrington 114 114 108
Wetherby 160 160 151
Watton 216 216 211
Whitemoor 534 524 463
Winchester 356 451 412
Woodhill 566 566 532
Wymott 432 432 420
Total 49,149 53,922 49,797
1The population of Morton Hall and North Sea Camp appear to be in excess of the operational capacity. This is because the total population includes a number of prisoners temporarily absent from the establishment for home leave or other authorised reasons.

Ms Ruddock

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many(a) unsentenced and (b) sentenced prisoners were being held at temporary allocation centres in prisons in England and Wales at the latest available date.

Mr. Michael Forsyth

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 Derek Lewis to Ms Joan Ruddock dated 24 October 1994: The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about the number of prisoners being held at temporary allocation centres in prisons in England and Wales. Because of the population pressures in the North West, it has been necessary to establish a temporary allocation centre at Risley prison. On 18 October, the temporary allocation centre at Risley held 3 unsentenced prisoners and 182 sentenced prisoners.