§ Lord Hyltonasked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Williams of Mostyn on I February (WA 184), how many mentally disordered convicted offenders are held in secure psychiatric hospitals (or wings); whether they can estimate the number of such persons held in Prison Service establishments whose condition is serious enough to require treatment; and what proportion of them are receiving appropriate treatment. [HL881]
44WA
Table A: Number of males aged 16 and 17 cautioned and sentenced for specific homosexual offences by type of disposal, England and Wales, 1987–1997 Offence, Age & Disposal 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 (A) Buggery offences Aged 16 years Cautioned 1— 1— — — — 1 — 5 1 3 2 Total sentenced 1 1 — 1 — — — — — — — Absolute discharge — — — — — — — — — — — Conditional discharge 1 1 — — — — — — — — — Fine — — — — — — — — — — — Probation order — — — — — — — — — — — Supervision order — — — — — — — — — — — Care order — — — 1 — * * * * * * Immediate custody — — — — — — — — — — — Otherwise dealt with — — — — — — — — — — — Aged 17 years Cautioned 1— 1— 2 3 — — 3 3 — 1 1 Total sentenced 1 — — — 1 — — — 1 — —
§ Lord Williams of MostynOn 31 December 1997, the latest date for which statistics have been published, 2, 694 mentally disordered offenders were detained in psychiatric hospitals as restricted patients. During 1997, 701 people were given unrestricted hospital orders by the courts.
From statistics supplied by Prison Service establishments it is estimated that between 3, 000 and 4, 000 prisoners were receiving treatment each day in 1998 for any of the five principal disorders considered in the survey of psychiatric morbidity among prisoners in England and Wales undertaken by the Office for National Statistics. More than 26, 000 prisoners completed drugs and alcohol detoxification programmes in 1998. The question of what, if any, treatment is appropriate for any individual prisoner is a clinical matter for practitioners to decide, taking into account that personality disorder may not always be amenable to treatment and that the co-operation of the prisoner is normally requested when treating that condition, and alcohol misuse and drug dependence.