HC Deb 09 May 1995 vol 259 cc384-5W
Mr. Hoyle

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what special health and medical arrangements the Prison Service has in relation to ethnic minority prisoners. [23090]

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 Mr. Derek Lewis to Mr. Doug Hoyle, dated 9 May 1995: The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about special health and medical arrangements in relation to ethnic minority prisoners. The Prison Service is committed to eliminating racial discrimination in all aspects of its work. Medical officers are required under the race relations policy to ensure equality of access to all health care facilities for all inmates. more than 50 per cent. of prison medical officers are from ethnic minorities. If there are language differences which make communication difficult, prison medical officers are able to make use of the translation service which is available to governors. In establishments with large numbers of foreign detainees, multi-lingual picture card materials are available which provide symptoms, signs, medical conditions and medical symptoms to facilitate understanding.