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TREASURY
Finance Bill
The Paymaster General (Dawn Primarolo): As I announced in the debate on the Budget resolutions on 18 March, Official Report, column 538, the Government intend to publish the Finance Bill on Thursday 8 April. Explanatory notes on the Bill's clauses will be available in the Vote Office and the Libraries of both Houses on that day. Members of the public will be able to obtain copies of the explanatory notes from the Treasury. These will also be available on the Treasury's website http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/.
HEALTH
Health Services for Prisoners
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health (Dr. Stephen Ladyman): I am making this statement with the Minister with responsibility for correctional services and reducing reoffending, my hon. Friend the Member for Wythenshawe and Sale, East (Paul Goggins).
The prison population demonstrates high levels of morbidity, particularly in areas such as mental health and substance misuse. Historically, primary health care services to prisoners have been secured and delivered by the Prison Service independently of the NHS.
A formal partnership between the Prison Service and the NHS was launched in 2000 to modernise health services for prisoners. In 2002, the Government announced their intention to move this partnership on to a new phase, with the Department of Heath assuming overall financial responsibility for these services from April 2003 and the transfer of full commissioning responsibility for prison health services to NHS PCTs by April 2006. A Development Network of prisons and PCTs was established to provide a test-bed for this transfer at operational level.
We are today announcing the NHS Primary Care Trusts that will assume responsibility for commissioning primary healthcare services in their local prisons from April 2004. This is the initial phase of
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transfer of responsibility and involves 22 PCTs that have prisons within their boundaries. Of these 22, four have delegated commissioning responsibility to neighbouring PCTs, giving 18 PCTs the lead for local prison health partnerships.
Covering 34 prisons across England, the 18 lead Primary Care Trusts have demonstrated a clear understanding of the health needs of their local prison populations and have, in partnership with the prisons themselves, developed robust plans to improve health services for those populations. Funding for primary health services that was previously allocated through the Prison Service will be transferred to the relevant Primary Care Trusts from April 2004. Funding for NHS secondary care services provided to prisoners is already within the financial baselines of PCTs. Investment in health services for prisoners is set to increase by over £40 million a year over the three year period to March 2006. Responsibility for commissioning health services in all publicly run prisons in England will transfer to local Primary Care Trusts by 1 April 2006.
The 18 partnerships where commissioning responsibility will transfer from 1 April are:
| PCT | Prisons |
|---|---|
| Castlepoint and Rochford | Bullwood Hall |
| Doncaster East | LindholmeMoorland |
| Durham and Chester-le Street | FranklandDurhamLow Newton |
| Exeter | Channings Wood (1)Dartmoor (2)Exeter |
| Heart of Birmingham | Birmingham |
| Hounslow | Feltham |
| Huntingdon | Littlehey |
| Islington | HollowayPentonville |
| Lambeth | Brixton |
| Leeds West | Leeds |
| North Liverpool | Liverpool |
| Northumberland | AcklingtonCastington |
| Reading | Reading |
| Richmond and Twickenham | Latchmere House |
| South West Dorset | DorchesterGuys Marsh (3)PortlandShepton Mallet (4)The VerneWeare |
| Suffolk Coast | Hollesley BayWarren Hill |
| Swale | ElmleyStandford HillSwaleside |
| West Lincolnshire | LincolnMorton Hall |
(1) Managed by Exeter on behalf of Teignbridge PCT
(2) Managed by Exeter on behalf of South Hams and West Devon PCT
(3) Managed by SW Dorset on behalf of North Dorset PCT
(4) Managed by SW Dorsest on behalf of Mendip PCT