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Prisons (Suicides)

Volume 177: debated on Monday 23 July 1990

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To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many males aged (a) 15, (b) 16, (c) 17, (d) 18, (e) 19 and (f) 20 years committed suicide or attempted suicide whilst in prison establishments in England and Wales during 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989 and thus far in 1990.

The number of male inmates between the ages of 15 and 20 who died by their own hand in prison service establishments in England and Wales in the years 1986 to 1990 is shown in the table. The figures in brackets give the number of cases where a verdict of suicide was returned at the coroner's inquest. Total figures for attempted suicides in prison service establishments have been held centrally since 1989—I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Cheltenham (Sir C. Irving) on 12 March at column 18—but a breakdown of this information by age group is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.readily available, 65 untried, 19 convicted unsentenced and 19 sentenced juvenile males were held in prisons and remand centres in England and Wales. Of these, 44 untried and 18 convicted unsentenced juveniles were held in remand centres for prisoners aged under 21.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many boys aged 15 and 16 years were being held in (a) Hull, (b) Swansea and (c) Leeds gaol on the latest available day.