§ Mr. Paul MarsdenTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the funding arrangements will be for mental health provision within prisons after April. [105005]
§ Hilary BennBudgetary responsibility for prison health is being transferred from the Prison Service to the Department of Health from 1 April 2003. However, for the first three years the majority of resourcing for prison health, including most primary care mental health346W provision, will be transferred back to the Prison Service, which will continue to deliver or commission most services through individual prisons as before.
Funding for those NHS prison mental health in-reach services established before the end of 2002–03 was included in the baseline resource level allocations issued to the Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) concerned in December 2002. Further allocations, in respect of new in-reach services to be developed in 2003–04 and additional support For some existing services, will be made to the relevant PCTs shortly.