HC Deb 20 February 1997 vol 290 c749W
Mr. Cousins

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the expenditure(a) in cash (b) at current prices and (c) per head of prison population incurred by the prison medical service in each year since 1990 on (a) mental illness research, (b) treatment by prescription medicines for (i) tranquillisers and (ii) anti-depressants and (c) treatment of drug abuses for each year. [15233]

Miss Widdecombe

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 Richard Tilt to Mr. Jim Cousins, dated 20 February 1997: The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about expenditure by the prison medical service each year since 1990 on mental illness research, prescription medicines for tranquillisers and anti-depressants and treatment of drug abuse. We do not keep full central records on expenditure in the categories you ask, which could only be obtained at disproportionate cost. However we estimate that around £400,000 has been spent on research relating to mental disorder in prisoners between 1990 and 1996.