§ Mr. McFallTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what were prisoner-on-prisoner assault rates in Scottish prisons in the most recent period for which figures are available. [8943]
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: The subject of the question relates to matters undertaken by the Scottish Prison Service. I have asked its chief executive, Mr. E. W. Frizzell, to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter from E. W. Frizzell to Mr. John McFall, dated 17 December 1996:
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton has asked me to reply to your question relating to the number of prisoner-on-prisoner assaults in Scottish prisons in the most recent period for which figures are available.The most recent published figures are set out on page 9 of the Scottish Prison Service Annual Report and Accounts for 1995–96 (HMSO Cm 508). There were 108 such serious assaults. The figure for 1996–97 will be published in the Annual Report for that year in July 1997.