HC Deb 02 November 2000 vol 355 c609W
Mr. Kidney

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent assessment he has made of the arrangements for the delivery of health care services in prisons in England. [134384]

Mr. Boateng

A comprehensive assessment of the arrangements for delivering health care services in prisons was conducted prior to the publication of "The Future Organisation of Prison Health Care" in March 1999. The programme of reform set out in that report requires each prison and health authority jointly to review the health needs of the local prison population and to develop joint improvement plans by the end of March 2001.

Mr. Kidney

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to make available specific ring-fenced funds for health-related service improvements in prisons in England. [134387]

Mr. Boateng

Prison Service funds are not generally ring-fenced for particular purposes. The reform and improvement of prison health care is a high priority for the Government and this will be reflected in business plans and financial allocations within the Prison Service for 2001–04. Provisional plans are for significant additional investment in health care over this period, including up to £35 million to rebuild or refurbish those prison health care centres in England and Wales that most badly need it.

Mr. Kidney

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the work programmes are of(a) the prisons task force and (b) the prisons health policy unit; and what plans he has to report on their progress. [134388]

Mr. Boateng

The joint work programme of the prison health policy unit and the prison health task force was set out in the "Prison Health Handbook", which was published in September 2000. Copies have been placed in the Library. These will publish a joint annual report on their work.

Mr. Kidney

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will arrange for the NHS to be responsible for health care services in prisons in England. [134385]

Mr. Boateng

The Government's policy on responsibilities for prison health care was set out in the report "The Future Organisation of Prison Health Care", published in March 1999. That document sets out the rationale for an approach based on a partnership between the Prison Service and the NHS as the best way of meeting the health care needs of prisoners.