§ Lord Monsonasked Her Majesty's Government:
Why Ian Brady was recently force fed when on hunger strike, despite a ruling of the Home Secretary (Mr Roy Jenkins) in July 1974 that prisoners on hunger strike should no longer be force fed except in exceptional circumstances (HC Deb., 17 July 1974, cols 451–2). [HL238]
110WA
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Lord Hunt of Kings Heath)Mr Brady is a patient at Ashworth Hospital having been transferred from prison under Sections 47/49 of the Mental Health Act 1983.
In some circmstances and depending on clinical judgment, re-feeding of patients can take place against the wishes of the patient as treatment under Section 63 of the Mental Health Act 1983.