Prisons: Mental Health

Mr. Mullin
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many mental health in-reach teams operate within the Prison Service;

(2) how many prisons have dedicated mental health teams.

Mr. Sutcliffe
Responsibility for prison healthcare services now rests with the Department of Health.

There are currently 102 mental health in-reach teams working within prisons. Every prison establishment in England and Wales has access to these services.

Mental health services have been a key part of the Government's recent reforms of prison health services and the Department of Health is now investing £20 million a year in NHS mental health in-reach services for prisoners.