Prisoners: Basic Skills Screening

HL Deb 14 March 2002 vol 632 cc100-1WA

Lord Avebury

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether the Prisoners Learning and Skills Unit is developing a standard approach to screening young offenders for speech, language and communication difficulties; and what proportions of young offenders are now being screened. [HL3124]

Baroness Ashton of Upholland

All prisoners are offered a basic skills screening test during their induction into prison. Prisons will also be part of a pilot being developed by the Adult Basic Skills Strategy Unit, which will introduce a greater diagnostic element. More generally, we know that many offenders have learning difficulties and/or disabilities and we are working with prisons, including young offender institutions, to develop a national policy to support needs. We have no reliable information on the total number of prisoners with speech, language and communications difficulties but we are implementing new procedures to capture this kind of information.