§ Simon HughesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of(a) registered young offenders, (b) registered offenders, (c) young offenders resident in youth offender institutions, (d) offenders resident in adult prisons, (e) persons convicted of drug-related offences and (f) persons convicted of violent crimes are known to have a history of being in care. [72929]
§ Mr. Hilary BennNo data are held centrally on the upbringing of persons in prisons in England and Wales. This means that it is not possible to provide specific
1464W
Table 1: Self-Inflicted Deaths of Young Prisoners by Year: 1990–2002* 15 16 17 18 Total 1990 0 2 1 4 7 1991 1 0 0 1 2 1992 0 1 0 2 3 1993 0 0 1 0 1 1994 0 0 2 3 5 1995 0 1 0 1 2 1996 0 0 1 4 5 1997 0 0 0 5 5 1998 0 0 3 6 9 1999 0 0 2 2 4 2000 0 0 3 3 6 2001 0 3 0 2 5 2002 0 1 0 0 1 1 8 13 33 55 * Up to and including 17 July 2002 The Prison Service employs the term "self-inflicted death" (which includes all those deaths where it appears that the person may have acted specifically to take his/her own life) rather than suicide.
Table 2 shows the overall number of self-inflicted deaths of young prisoners in establishments during each of the last 13 years.
answers to questions (a) to (f). However, according to the Criminality Survey 2000, 31 per cent. of the sentenced male prison population (excluding sex offenders) had been taken into local authority care as a child.
In 1997, a survey was carried out by the Office for National Statistics, called "Psychiatric Morbidity Among Prisoners in England and Wales". A sample of around 1,200 male remand, 1,200 male sentenced and 800 female prisoners were interviewed. 33 per cent. of the males on remand and 26 per cent. of the males under sentence had been taken into local authority care as a child. 29 per cent.
1465Wof the females on remand and 25 per cent. of the females under sentence had also been taken into local authority care as a child.
According to the National Prison Survey 1991, when interviews were conducted with around 4,000 sentenced and remand prisoners (juveniles and immigration detainees were excluded): "26 per cent. said that they had at some point before the age of 16 been taken into local authority care. As many as 38 per cent. of prisoners under 21 reported that they had had such an experience".
§ Simon HughesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which statutory body has responsibility for the welfare of children in care who have been committed to a young offender institution or adult prison; and if he will make a statement. [73058]
§ Mr. Hilary BennThe Prison Service, on behalf of the Secretary of State for the Home Department, has responsibility for the day-to-day welfare needs of everyone who is committed to a young offender institution or adult prison, including those who are "looked after children".