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Prison Service

Volume 403: debated on Tuesday 8 April 2003

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To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps have been taken to implement the recommendations made by Patrick Carter in his Review of PFI and Market Testing in the Prison Service; and if he will make a statement. [107292]

The Carter report, a copy of which was placed in the Library on 26 February 2002, was welcomed by Ministers at the time of its publication. Much work has been done to develop the issues raised in the recommendations, particularly those involving the development of a performance improvement programme and the development of large-scale multifunction prisons.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners in each prison are sharing (a) two to a cell designed for one and (b) three to a cell designed for two. [105400]

The following table shows the number of prisoners in each prison held two to a cell designed for one at the end of February 2003. Data are provisional and subject to validation by prisons.The Prison Service does not collect centrally the number of prisoners held three in a double cell. Overall, the percentage of prisoners doubling up was 20.2.

Prison nameTwo to a cell designed for one
Altcourse776
Askham Grange0
Acklington0
Albany0
Ashfield0
Ashwell12
Aylesbury0
Belmarsh0
Blundeston40
Bedford272
Blantyre House0
Brockhill0
Bristol90
Birmingham398
Bullingdon128
Brinsford48
Blakenhurst226
Bullwood Hall8
Brixton234
Buckley Hall22
Chelmsford302
Cardiff528
Camp Hill0
Cookham Wood36
Coldingley0
Castington0
Channings Wood38
Canterbury218
Dartmoor50
Dovegate30
Drake Hall0
Durham330
Doncaster0
Dorchester192
Deerbolt0
Dover0
Downview0
Erlestoke0
Standford Hill0
East Sutton Park0
Everthorpe0
Eastwood Park28
Exeter0
Elmley240
Forest Bank0
Ford0
Frankland0

Prison name

Two to a cell designed for one

Feltham0
Full Sutton0
Foston Hall0
Featherstone24
Garth20
Gloucester198
Guys Marsh68
Grendon0
Glen Parva372
Gartree0
Hollesley Bay0
Huntercombe0
Hatfield0
Hewell Grange0
Holme House234
Hindley10
Hull200
High Down0
Highpoint54
Haslar0
Haverigg14
Holloway0
Kirkham0
Kirklevington0
Lancaster176
Leicester320
Leeds946
Lancaster Farms32
Lindholme0
Lincoln246
Long Lartin0
Latchmere House0
Low Newton70
Lowdham Grange16
Liverpool512
Littlehey72
Lewes138
Leyhill0
Moorland56
Morton Hall0
Manchester708
Maidstone0
Mount110
New Hall64
Nottingham316
Northallerton150
North Sea Camp0
Norwich370
Onley0
Portland0
Parkhurst0
Preston610
Parc0
Kingston0
Pentonville418
Rochester0
Reading176
Rye Hill74
Ranby190
Risley0
Send0
Stafford418
Stoke Heath204
Stocken26
Swaleside26
Shepton Mallet38
Swinfen Hall0
Styal28
Sudbury0
Swansea270
Shrewsbury298
Thorn Cross0
Usk212
Prescoed0

Prison name

Two to a cell designed for one

Verne68
Weare0
Wellingborough0
Winchester322
Wakefield0
Wealstun0
Woodhill210
Wayland76
Wymott0
Whitemoor0
Wormwood Scrubs124
Whatton0
Wandsworth806
Wetherby0

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to his answer of 6 March 2003, Official Report, column 1243W, on prisons (1) how many prisoners were held in police cells in each year between 1995 and 2002; and if he will make a statement; [106665](2) what his estimate is of how many prisoners will be held in police cells each year between 2003 and 2006. [106664]

From January 1995 to May 1995 an average of 205 prisoners a month, who would normally be held in Prison Service accommodation, were held in police cells under Operation Container. No prisoners were held in police cells from mid-1995 to July 2002. From 12 July 2002 to 20 December 2002 an average of 199 prisoners a month were held in police cells under Operation Safeguard.It is not possible to predict how many prisoners will be held in police cells at any point in the future. The use of police cells is dependent on the population pressures at the time, and the number used can vary on a daily basis. Their use is carefully monitored by the Prison Service and every effort is made to locate prisoners held in police cells to a prison as soon as possible.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of young prisoners with mental health needs since 1997 (a) had already had those needs identified and (b) were already receiving mental health services before coming into custody; and if he will make a statement. [107201]

The information sought is not available in the form requested. In 2000, the Office for National Statistics published a report, 'Psychiatric Morbidity amongst Young Offenders in England and Wales", which contained further analysis of data obtained during the survey of mental ill health in the prison population of England and Wales that it undertook in 1997. This report indicated that 13 per cent. of young men on remand, 11 per cent. of sentenced young men and 29 per cent. of all young women said they had received help or treatment for mental, nervous, or emotional problems in the year before they came into prison.

Only people who had been in prison for less than two years were asked this question because it was felt that people who had been in prison for longer would not be able to recall the information accurately.

In comparison, 11 per cent. of young men on remand, 14 per cent. of sentenced young men and 23 per cent. of all young women reported receiving help for such problems in prison during the past year, or, if they had not been in custody that long, since coming into prison.

Young offenders who had been receiving help for mental or emotional problems in the year before coming into prison were more likely to report receiving such help while in prison. While 29 per cent. of young men on remand and 43 per cent. of women who said they had been receiving treatment before coming into prison reported receiving treatment in prison, this was true for only 8 per cent. and 16 per cent. respectively of those who had not had treatment.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information is collected about a prisoner as part of the reception screening process; and if he will make a statement. [107310]

On the reception of a prisoner into a prison, information is collected by reception and health care staff. It includes personal details and any outstanding court appearances. An assessment is made of the prisoner's immediate physical and health care needs, and to identify recent substance abuse, and the potential for self-harm or harm to others. Prisoners are also asked about any urgent domestic issues and are permitted to make a phone call.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average length of a drug prison rehabilitation programme is. [107309]

There are three different types of intensive prison drug rehabilitation programmes. The average length of treatment intervention is given in the following table:

Programme typeAverage length
12-Step12 weeks
Cognitive Behavioural Treatment15 weeks
Therapeutic Community12–18 months

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of prisoners entered HMP YOI Styal (a) in 2002 and (b) since January 2003 with drug misuse problems; and if he will make a statement. [106792]

On arrival at Styal prison, each prisoner sees a doctor and has an opportunity to discuss any drug misuse problem. Statistics are not routinely collected on the number of women prisoners reporting drug misuse problems. However, those members of staff working with drug misusers at Styal estimate that over the last two years approximately 75 per cent. of the total number of receptions have had drug problems.