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1698525

registered interest
date	25/03/2024
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Prisoners: Mental Illness
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to reduce the number of people with mental illness held in UK prisons.
tabling member constituency	North Shropshire
tabling member printed	Helen Morgan
uin	20484
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/04/2024 answer text <p>The prevalence of mental health needs in prison is higher than amongst the general population and we are firmly committed to delivering improvements to mental health treatment for vulnerable people in the criminal justice system. An HM Inspectorate of Prisons Report 2022/23 highlighted that, of the surveyed prison population, 82% of female prisoners and 59% of male prisoners reported having a mental health need. The report can be found at: <a href="https://www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmiprisons/inspections/annual-report-2022-23/" target="_blank">https://www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmiprisons/inspections/annual-report-2022-23/.</a></p><p>Many people with mental health needs can be well supported in prison, and all prisoners have access to integrated mental health services commissioned by NHS England as per the national <a href="https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/service-specification-mental-health-for-prisons-in-england-2.pdf" target="_blank">Service Specification for Integrated Mental Health Service for Prisons in England.</a></p><p>However, with the right treatment and support to tackle the causes of their offending behaviour, many offenders can be managed more effectively in the community, and we are committed to diverting offenders with mental health needs away from prison or out of the criminal justice system altogether, where appropriate.</p><p>Together with NHS England, the Department for Health and Social Care and the Home Office, we are strengthening Liaison &amp; Diversion services, which are present in police custody suites and criminal courts in England. We are also working to increase the use of Mental Health Treatment Requirements as part of community or suspended sentences.</p><p>To reduce inappropriate remands into custody solely on mental health grounds we are piloting a Health and Justice Hub in the Northeast, in partnership with HMCTS and NHS England, to improve the way that courts, health services and prisons work together at a local level to better support defendants with severe mental health needs.</p><p>The nationwide expansion of the HMPPS Bail Information Service, as well as the additional funding recently announced by the Chancellor, will also help to ensure judges have the necessary information to make a timely and informed decision on bailing a vulnerable individual with confidence.</p><p>Taken together, these steps will help reduce the number of people with mental illness in prisons and divert them into the appropriate support to tackle the root causes of their offending.</p> answering member constituency Charnwood answering member printed Edward Argar grouped question UIN 20485 question first answered 15/04/2024 10:21:05 answering member 4362 label Biography information for Edward Argar
tabling member	4934 label Biography information for Helen Morgan

1698526

registered interest
date	25/03/2024
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Prisoners: Mental Illness
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of mental illness on the size of the prison population.
tabling member constituency	North Shropshire
tabling member printed	Helen Morgan
uin	20485
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/04/2024 answer text <p>The prevalence of mental health needs in prison is higher than amongst the general population and we are firmly committed to delivering improvements to mental health treatment for vulnerable people in the criminal justice system. An HM Inspectorate of Prisons Report 2022/23 highlighted that, of the surveyed prison population, 82% of female prisoners and 59% of male prisoners reported having a mental health need. The report can be found at: <a href="https://www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmiprisons/inspections/annual-report-2022-23/" target="_blank">https://www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmiprisons/inspections/annual-report-2022-23/.</a></p><p>Many people with mental health needs can be well supported in prison, and all prisoners have access to integrated mental health services commissioned by NHS England as per the national <a href="https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/service-specification-mental-health-for-prisons-in-england-2.pdf" target="_blank">Service Specification for Integrated Mental Health Service for Prisons in England.</a></p><p>However, with the right treatment and support to tackle the causes of their offending behaviour, many offenders can be managed more effectively in the community, and we are committed to diverting offenders with mental health needs away from prison or out of the criminal justice system altogether, where appropriate.</p><p>Together with NHS England, the Department for Health and Social Care and the Home Office, we are strengthening Liaison &amp; Diversion services, which are present in police custody suites and criminal courts in England. We are also working to increase the use of Mental Health Treatment Requirements as part of community or suspended sentences.</p><p>To reduce inappropriate remands into custody solely on mental health grounds we are piloting a Health and Justice Hub in the Northeast, in partnership with HMCTS and NHS England, to improve the way that courts, health services and prisons work together at a local level to better support defendants with severe mental health needs.</p><p>The nationwide expansion of the HMPPS Bail Information Service, as well as the additional funding recently announced by the Chancellor, will also help to ensure judges have the necessary information to make a timely and informed decision on bailing a vulnerable individual with confidence.</p><p>Taken together, these steps will help reduce the number of people with mental illness in prisons and divert them into the appropriate support to tackle the root causes of their offending.</p> answering member constituency Charnwood answering member printed Edward Argar grouped question UIN 20484 question first answered 15/04/2024 10:21:05 answering member 4362 label Biography information for Edward Argar
tabling member	4934 label Biography information for Helen Morgan

1564534

registered interest
date	06/01/2023
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Prisoners: Mental Illness
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of trends in the level of mental ill health in prisoners on HM Prison Service.
tabling member constituency	Portsmouth South
tabling member printed	Stephen Morgan
uin	117918
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/01/2023 answer text <p>In response to both the Justice Select Committee’s inquiry on Mental Health in Prisons and His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Probation’s inspection of the Criminal Justice Journey for Individuals with Mental Health Needs and Disorders, health and justice partners set out a wide range of commitments to improve mental health support in prisons, committing to ensuring that people in prison have access to an equivalent standard, range, and quality of health care in prisons to that available in the wider community.</p><p> </p><p>Since the inquiries, the Government has published a draft Mental Health Bill, which is now subject to pre-legislative scrutiny. The Bill includes vital reforms to support people with serious mental illnesses in the criminal justice system. This includes speeding up access to specialist in-patient care and treatment by ending the use of prison as a ‘place of safety’ and establishing a new statutory time limit of 28 days for transfers from prison to hospital.</p><p> </p><p>In partnership with the Centre for Mental Health, NHS England recently completed a national mental health needs analysis for prisoners. This data will feed into a refreshed mental health service specification by April 2023 to ensure that services continue to be tailored to the needs of people in prison.</p><p> </p><p>The Ministry of Justice is committed to continuing to work closely with NHS England to improve services in prison, ensuring that people have access to timely and effective mental health care. This ongoing commitment is reflected in the new National Partnership Agreement on Health and Social Care in England, which is due to be published shortly.</p> answering member constituency East Hampshire answering member printed Damian Hinds grouped question UIN 117916 question first answered 16/01/2023 13:45:19 answering member 3969 label Biography information for Damian Hinds
tabling member	4653 label Biography information for Stephen Morgan

1488112

registered interest
date	11/07/2022
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Prisoners: Mental Illness
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the Report of the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, Periodic visit to the United Kingdom carried out by the CPT from 8 to 21 June 2021 and the Government response, what steps he will take to help reduce the length of time that prisoners in England and Wales diagnosed with a serious mental illness and who have already been assessed as requiring treatment in a psychiatric hospital remain in prison before being transferred.
tabling member constituency	Henley
tabling member printed	John Howell
uin	33747
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/07/2022 answer text <p>The Ministry of Justice is committed to working with health partners to improve the timeliness of transfers from prison to hospital under the Mental Health Act.  As stated in the Government’s response to the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment’s report, we recognise that in some cases this currently takes far too long.</p><p>That is why last month the Government published a draft Mental Health Bill which introduces a new statutory time limit of 28-days for transfers from prisons to hospital. This time limit, together with operational improvements, will help reduce unnecessary delays and ensure people in the criminal justice system receive swift access to treatment.</p><p>The draft Bill will also end the use of prison as a ‘place of safety’. This will end the practice of courts diverting offenders or defendants requiring assessment and treatment in an inpatient setting to prison when there are no hospital beds available, ensuring vulnerable offenders are able to access the right support in the right environment.</p><p>The draft Bill will now be subject to pre-legislative scrutiny.</p> answering member constituency Pudsey answering member printed Stuart Andrew question first answered 14/07/2022 14:36:59 answering member 4032 label Biography information for Stuart Andrew
tabling member	1606 label Biography information for John Howell

1351371

registered interest
date	18/08/2021
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Prisoners: Mental Illness
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate he has made of the number of people who received a custodial sentence aged (a) 13 to 18 and (b) 19 to 21 who were receiving treatment for a mental health condition prior to sentencing since 2018.
tabling member constituency	Washington and Sunderland West
tabling member printed	Mrs Sharon Hodgson
uin	40750
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/09/2021 answer text <p>The Ministry of Justice takes mental health provision very seriously and is committed to working closely with health partners to ensure that offenders are able to access the treatment and support required for their mental health needs. NHS England and NHSE Improvement (NHSE/I) are responsible for commissioning healthcare services, including mental health treatment, in all prisons in England.</p><p>The full information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost. This is because it would require manually searching case files. However, the questions can, in part, be answered by published statistics in the Criminal Justice Statistics annual report data tools.</p><p> </p><p>The Ministry of Justice publishes court outcomes by offence, remand status, sex, age and several other characteristics. This information from 2010 to 2020 is available in Criminal Justice Statistics 2020 annual report here, see in the following data tools:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/criminal-justice-system-statistics-quarterly-december-2020" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/criminal-justice-system-statistics-quarterly-december-2020</a></p><ul><li>Outcomes by offence data tool</li><li>Remands: Magistrates’ court data tool</li><li>Remands: Crown Court data tool</li></ul><p><strong>Note</strong> that offences are recorded under the specific offence recorded in law, so while violence is an offence group, gang-related violence is not centrally held in the court proceedings database and could only be obtained by manually searching court records at disproportionate costs. The same applies for address/local authority of defendants. In addition, some of the information requested in the above questions (regarding: education in alternative provision; exclusion from school; and treatment for a mental health condition) is not centrally held in the court proceedings database or Prison-NOMIS (Prison National Offender Management Information System) database and can only be provided by manually searching court and prison records (where medical and personal records were self-declared) at disproportionate cost.</p> answering member constituency Cheltenham answering member printed Alex Chalk question first answered 10/09/2021 09:40:12 answering member 4481 label Biography information for Alex Chalk
tabling member	1521 label Biography information for Mrs Sharon Hodgson

1328231

registered interest
date	26/05/2021
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Prisoners: Mental Illness
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what specialist training is given to staff in prisons to handle individuals in custody who are experiencing mental health crises; what the procedure is for assessing the need for use of physical force on those individuals; and whether expert opinions from mental health professionals are sought in dealing with those cases.
tabling member constituency	Lewisham East
tabling member printed	Janet Daby
uin	7939
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/06/2021 answer text <p>This government takes the mental health needs of prisoners very seriously and to keep them safe and well, prison officers must have the skills, knowledge and confidence to offer support, alongside healthcare professionals.</p><p>Improved mental health awareness training has been developed as part of Prison Officer Entry Level Training and refresher training for existing staff. We are currently developing an improved modular safety training package. This includes an enhanced mental health training module, building on the introductory module for staff supporting individuals with complex needs. Resources also include a suicide and self-harm learning tool, developed in partnership with Samaritans, and a range of guidance relating to known risk factors.</p><p>Any use of force must be necessary, reasonable and proportionate to the seriousness of the circumstances. A clinical assessment must take place to determine whether the prisoner has capacity. If the prisoner has been assessed as not having capacity, then the Mental Capacity Act 2005 makes provision for the person to be treated and, if necessary, for force or restraint to be used. When considering the options, healthcare/clinical staff will make the decision and liaise closely with prison staff on the level and type of restraint that might be used.</p> answering member constituency Cheltenham answering member printed Alex Chalk question first answered 11/06/2021 13:45:50 answering member 4481 label Biography information for Alex Chalk
tabling member	4698 label Biography information for Janet Daby

1302993

registered interest
date	16/03/2021
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Prisoners: Mental Illness
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the Annual Report of the Independent Monitoring Board at HMP Wakefield for reporting year 1 May 2019 – 30 April 2020, published in March 2021, what steps he plans to take to respond to the recommendation to ensure expeditious transfers of prisoners who present with serious acute mental health conditions to appropriate mental health accommodation as a matter of extreme urgency.
tabling member constituency	West Ham
tabling member printed	Ms Lyn Brown
uin	169817
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/03/2021 answer text <p>We have a responsibility to ensure those in prison receive appropriate care in the right setting, at the right time. If a prisoner is suffering from a mental disorder to an extent that warrants detention under the Mental Health Act, they should be transferred to hospital. We recognise that currently this takes too long, and we are determined to improve the transfer process, ensure delays are reduced and avoid prison being used inappropriately.</p><p> </p><p>NHS England and NHS Improvement (NHSE/I) will shortly be publishing revised guidance on the transfer and remission to hospital from prison. The new guidance will promote timely access to appropriate treatment under the Mental Health Act and reduce unnecessary delays to treatment.</p><p> </p><p>In the recently published DHSC and MoJ White Paper on <em>Reforming the Mental Health Act</em>, the government has committed to introduce a new statutory time limit of 28 days for transfers to mental health hospitals, once the NHSE/I guidance has been fully embedded in practice. We will also introduce a new independent role to oversee the transfer process which will further help to reduce unnecessary delays.</p><p> </p><p>The Government's full response to the Annual Report of the Independent Monitoring Board at HMP Wakefield will be issued shortly.</p> answering member constituency Cheltenham answering member printed Alex Chalk question first answered 24/03/2021 15:55:32 answering member 4481 label Biography information for Alex Chalk
tabling member	1583 label Biography information for Ms Lyn Brown

1127860

registered interest
date	21/05/2019
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Prisoners: Mental Illness
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether his Department centrally collects figures on how many prisoners are prescribed medication for mental health issues.
tabling member constituency	Bradford East
tabling member printed	Imran Hussain
uin	257097
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/05/2019 answer text <p>The Ministry of Justice does not hold information on how many prisoners are prescribed medication for mental health issues.</p><p> </p><p>NHS England has statutory and financial responsibility for providing health care in English prisons, including prescribing medication.</p> answering member constituency South Swindon answering member printed Robert Buckland question first answered 30/05/2019 15:51:37 answering member 4106 label Biography information for Sir Robert Buckland
tabling member	4394 label Biography information for Imran Hussain

1050473

registered interest
date	29/01/2019
answering body	Department of Health and Social Care
answering dept id	17
answering dept short name	Health and Social Care
answering dept sort name	Health and Social Care
hansard heading	Prisoners: Mental Illness
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many prisoners have been diagnosed with a mental illness while in prison in each year since 2010.
tabling member constituency	Coventry South
tabling member printed	Mr Jim Cunningham
uin	213942
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/02/2019 answer text <p>The information requested is not collected centrally.</p> answering member constituency Thurrock answering member printed Jackie Doyle-Price question first answered 04/02/2019 15:17:03 answering member 4065 label Biography information for Dame Jackie Doyle-Price
tabling member	308 label Biography information for Mr Jim Cunningham

928001

registered interest
date	20/06/2018
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Prisoners: Mental Illness
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many transfers of prisoners to hospitals under the Mental Health Act 1983 there have been in each of the last three years; and what the average time was for such transfers to take place in each of those years.
tabling member constituency	Liverpool, Wavertree
tabling member printed	Luciana Berger
uin	155780
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/06/2018 answer text <p>The total number of prisoners who have been transferred to hospital under sections 47 or 48 of the Mental Health Act 1983 in each of the last three years is set out below:</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p><strong>2015</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2016</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2017</strong></p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Total</strong></p></td><td><p>1,010</p></td><td><p>980</p></td><td><p>936</p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>The data are published annually on the gov.uk website under the Offender Management Statistics.</p><p> </p><p>The average time for such transfers to take place in each of those years has remained the same: 14 days.</p><p> </p><p>The time has been measured from the date at which the Ministry of Justice is provided with a complete application for a transfer warrant - indicating transfer is appropriate - to the actual date of admission to hospital. The Ministry of Justice has a target of 24 hours within which to provide a transfer warrant, once the assessments are complete and the two required medical reports and all other relevant information is received. This target is met in 95% of cases.</p><p> </p><p>This average time information is not published. The measure has been drawn from administrative IT systems which, as with any large-scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.</p><p> </p><p>We take the mental health of prisoners extremely seriously, which is why we have increased the support available to vulnerable offenders - especially during the first 24 hours in custody - and invested more in mental health awareness training for prison officers.</p><p> </p><p>But we recognise that more can be done and continue to work in partnership with HMPPS, NHS England and Public Health England to improve mental health services for offenders at all points of the criminal justice system.</p> answering member constituency Charnwood answering member printed Edward Argar question first answered 25/06/2018 14:25:31 answering member 4362 label Biography information for Edward Argar
tabling member	4036 label Biography information for Luciana Berger