asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the result of his discussions on improving the arrangements for mentally disordered offenders.
A rapid solution to this problem is not to be expected. I have, however, discussed it with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Services, with particular reference to those mentally disordered offenders whose condition is, in the opinion of prison medical officers, such as to warrant their detention in hospital for treatment. The first step is to identify with more precision the numbers and characteristics of this group and we intend to do this, concentrating in the first instance on sentenced prisoners who are mentally ill.
| Strength Officers | |||||||||
| Police | Ethnic Minorities | Cadets | |||||||
| Male | Female | Total | Male | Female | Total | Male | Female | Total | |
| Police Service, England and Wales— | |||||||||
| 1st April 1974 | 96,307 | 4,420 | 100,727 | 79 | 6 | 85 | 3,685 | 673 | 4,358 |
| 30th September 1978 | 99,718 | 8,322 | 108,040 | 172 | 39 | 211 | 2,336 | 1,109 | 3,445 |
| Metropolitan Police— | |||||||||
| 1st April 1974 | 20,119 | 937 | 21,056 | 21 | 2 | 23 | 663 | — | 633 |
| 30th September 1978 | 20,258 | 1,417 | 21,675 | 66 | 17 | 83 | 667 | 140 | 807 |
| West Midlands— | |||||||||
| 1st April 1974 | 4,935 | 300 | 5,235 | 10 | — | 10 | 238 | 20 | 258 |
| 30th September 1978 | 5,194 | 628 | 5,822 | 30 | 9 | 39 | 130 | 150 | 280 |
| Greater Manchester— | |||||||||
| 1st April 1974 | 5,307 | 278 | 5,585 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 162 | 64 | 226 |
| 30th September 1978 | 5,554 | 708 | 6,262 | 6 | 2 | 8 | 131 | 89 | 220 |
| Merseyside— | |||||||||
| 1st April 1974 | 3,614 | 250 | 3,864 | 3 | — | 3 | 56 | 23 | 79 |
| 30th September 1978 | 3,750 | 472 | 4,222 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 43 | 17 | 60 |
| South Yorkshire— | |||||||||
| 1st April 1974 | 2,196 | 123 | 2,319 | — | — | — | 76 | 29 | 105 |
| 30th September 1978 | 2,242 | 224 | 2,466 | — | 1 | 1 | 51 | 54 | 105 |
| West Yorkshire— | |||||||||
| 1st April 1974 | 4,086 | 267 | 4,353 | 5 | — | 5 | 177 | 64 | 241 |
| 30th September 1978 | 4,143 | 408 | 4,551 | 6 | 3 | 9 | 54 | 39 | 93 |
The problem was ventilated in the Fifteenth Report from the Expenditure Committee, whose recommendations are being given urgent consideration by the Government.