§ Mr. TredinnickTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what studies have been carried out into the effect of withdrawing from prisoners constitutional integrated drug-free medicine received for patterns of addiction, violence and related disturbances;[80137]
(2) what assessment he has made of the constitutional integrated drug-free medical treatment programme established in HMP Coldingley, Feltham and Downview by Complementary Medical Services for Prisoners and the effects reported by prisoners; [80138]
(3) when the Prison Service instruction to governors regarding the provision of complementary medical services to prisoners will be issued; who was consulted in formulating this policy; and what assessment he has 258W made of the impact it will have on the provision of constitutional drug-free medicine within the prison service; [80166]
(4) what assessment the Minister of State responsible for Prisons has made of the Institute for the Study and Treatment of Delinquency's report on the complementary medical treatment programme at HM Prison Coldingley; and if he will make a statement. [80167]
§ Mr. George HowarthThe report by the Institute for the Study and Treatment of Delinquency provides a general evaluation of the complementary medical treatment pilot at Coldingley and records the broadly positive and supportive views of patients. It makes proposals for improving the organisation of the service and for future research. The report does not provide a detailed assessment of the therapeutic value of all the treatments and practices involved nor of the resource and other implications of continuing the programme or extending it to other prisons.
The Prison Service, recognising the need to establish clear guidelines about the place of complementary therapies alongside conventional health care provided to prisoners, and having consulted the Department of Health, has concluded that only a limited number of complementary therapies of potential benefit to prisoners and prison regimes should be provided in prison, subject to an assessment of health needs and overall budgeting constraints. Provision will have to be on the basis of an assessed health need and in the context of an integrated health improvement plan, as described in the Government's announcement of 29 March 1999, Official Report, columns 556–58, on the future organisation of prison health care. Service providers will be required to show that they operate within accepted professional standards of competence. An instruction will shortly be issued to all Prison Service establishments to explain this policy.
The Prison Service has not carried out research into the effects of limiting the range of complementary therapies.