§ Mr. WebbTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many places are available for secure psychiatric accommodation for women; how many such places were available five years ago; and if he will make a statement on the adequacy of such provision with special reference to changes in the prison population. [88241]]
§ Jacqui Smith[holding answer 7 January 2003]: Currently, beds in secure psychiatric accommodation are not always designated by gender so it is not possible to be specific about the number of places that are available for women. Returns indicate that at the end of March 2001, the latest date for which information is currently available, there were 4,847 secure beds, compared to 3,845 secure beds at the end of March 1998. These figures include high, medium and other secure bed numbers and cover all genders.
The consultation document "Women's Mental Health: Into the Mainstream", published in September last year, envisages the development of dedicated, integrated, secure services for women. The needs of women requiring transfer from prison to hospital will be taken into account as part of the process of planning these proposed new services.