HL Deb 27 July 2000 vol 616 cc89-90WA
Lord Dholakia

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many prisoners were transferred to hospital under Sections 47 and 48 of the Mental Health Act 1983 in 1988 and 1999 respectively. [HL3462]

Lord Bassam of Brighton

The latest available information on numbers of prisoners transferred to hospitals as restricted patients under Sections 47 and 48 of the Mental Health Act 1983 in 1988 and 1999 is as follows:

Table 1: Number of prisoners discharged to the care of mental hospitals as restricted patients in years 1988 and 1999
1998 1999p
Transferred from prison to hospital after sentence1 94 276
Transferred from prison to hospital while unsentenced or untried2 82 466
All transfers from Prison Service establishments 176 742
1 Transfer from Prison Service Establishments under section 47 of the Mental Health Act 1983 with restrictions under section 49.
2 Transfers under section 48 of the Mental Health Act 1983.
p The number of transfers in 1999 is based upon provisional data.