§ Mr. HealdTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many prisoners have been transferred to NHS mental health facilities on temporary licence since 13 July 2000: and what funding arrangements have been made in respect thereof. [16609]
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§ Jacqui Smith[holding answer 22 November 2001]: The Prison Service does not collect information about the number of prisoners transferred to national health service mental health facilities on temporary licence but it would expect there to be few, if any, such cases. The objective is to ensure that prisoners who are so severely mentally disordered that they required in-patient treatment in hospital are diagnosed, assessed and transferred as quickly as possible. Some 750 prisoners a year are transferred from prison to hospital by direction of my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary under sections 47 and 48 of the Mental Health Act 1983. The costs of their treatment in hospital are borne by the national health service.