§ Mr. BeithTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners were clinically assessed as requiring medium secure psychiatric care in each of the last five years; how many of those assessed were transferred to psychiatric hospitals; and if he will make a statement. [61157]
§ Mr. Mike O'BrienThe number of transfers to hospital by direction of the Home Secretary under section 47 and 48 of the Mental Health Act 1983 in each of the last five years was as follows:
Year Number of Prisoners transferred 1993 767 1994 785 1995 723 1996 745 1997 745 Some 50–60 per cent. of such transfers are to medium secure or equivalent conditions of security. Information about the number of clinical assessments for psychiatric care is not collected centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.