§ Julie MorganTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what action the Government are taking to promote effective inter-agency arrangements for dealing with mentally disordered offenders. [144072]
§ Ms Rosie WintertonThe Government are committed both to providing better services for people with mental health problems and to protecting the public from crime and the fear of crime. A number of initiatives to support these aims are underway, involving a number of Government departments to tackle the issues raised by mentally disordered offenders.
The Department of Health, the Home Office and the Prison Service are developing new assessment and treatment facilities for dangerous people with severe personality disorder. This will result in 300 new places becoming available in high secure care with the development of an infrastructure at lower levels of security to allow a safe transition for those whose risk is reduced.
Multi-agency public protection arrangements exist in every part of the country and bring together health, police, probation and other agencies to plan the management of people who pose a risk in the community, many of whom are mentally disordered offenders.
Closer working between social services departments and mental health trusts, often leading to single management, has benefited all mental health services, including mentally disordered offenders by removing the traditional boundaries between health and social care.
1000WCourt liaison and diversion schemes are widespread and act to ensure that mentally ill people who come into contact with the Criminal Justice System receive mental health care whenever possible.
A number of strands of work are underway with the National Probation Service to ensure that they are supported by mental health services while managing people with mental health problems in hostels and the community.
§ Julie MorganTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps are taken to ensure that the use of medication for women in prison complies with the best practice guidance of the NHS. [144520]
§ Dr. LadymanAll prison establishments are expected, in conjunction with their local primary care trust, to be covered by a drugs and therapeutic committee or its equivalent. Drawing on specialist advice, this committee should be responsible for the development of an evidence-based local formulary, disease management guidelines and medicine-related policies and procedures. All establishments are expected to take account of relevant guidelines issued by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence.