§ Mr. ChidgeyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the number of deaths in prisons(a) involving restraint by prison officers, (b) in solitary confinement under body belt restraint and (c) involving other restricting methods, in each of the last five years. [7025]
§ Miss Widdecombe[holding answer 19 December 1995]: Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the temporary Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter from A. J. Pearson to Mr. David Chidgey, dated 9 January 1996:
The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your recent Question about deaths in prisons in each of the last five years.The information, from 1 January 1990 to 15 December 1995, is given in the attached table. One of the deaths occurred while the prisoner was in the segregation unit in a body belt. In the other five instances the prisoners became ill or died while subject to control and restraint techniques.
Year Numbers of deaths while being restrained 1990 0 1991 2 1992 0 1993 0 1994 1 1995 3