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16 May 2008 : Column 1838W—continued
| Table 2: Annual numbers of self-inflicted deaths( 1 ) in prison between 1998 and 2007 with and without at-risk care plans, split by age and gender | ||||||
| Male | Female | Male and female | ||||
| Not on care plan | On care plan | Not on care plan | On care plan | Total not on care plan | Total on care plan | |
| (1) NOMS definition of prisoner self-inflicted deaths is broader than the legal definition of suicide and includes all deaths where it appears that a prisoner has acted specifically to take their own life. This inclusive approach is used in part because inquest verdicts are often not available for some years after a death (some 20 per cent. of these deaths will not receive a suicide or open verdict at inquest). Annual numbers may change slightly from time to time as inquest verdicts and other information become available. | ||||||
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people from Leicester committed suicide while in prison and (a) on and (b) not on suicide watch in each of the last 10 years. [205562]
Mr. Hanson: The location of where prisoners originate from is not recorded centrally. To verify home address information (which would not necessarily reflect where the prisoner was from and in some cases would be ‘no fixed abode’) would involve contacting each individual prison and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what procedures are in place to prevent suicide in prisons. [205563]
Mr. Hanson: The National Offender Management Service has a prisoner suicide prevention strategy that seeks to reduce the distress of all who live and work in prisons. This encompasses a wide spectrum of prison and Department of Health work around such issues as mental health, drugs, resettlement, leadership and training.
A revised strategy was published in October 2007. This builds on several years of learning from the experiences of prisoners, staff, investigators, inspectors and others, and aims to embed improved suicide prevention and self-harm management methods of working in all areas of prison life. The strategy further develops cross-agency information flows, and reflects long-standing areas of safer custody work such as
Listener and Insider peer supporters, local Suicide Prevention Co-ordinators and working with outside organisations.
It also incorporates Assessment, Care in Custody and Teamwork (ACCT), the care-planning system for prisoners at-risk of suicide or self-harm, introduced across the prisons estate in partnership with the Department of Health during 2005-07. The key benefits of ACCT include a faster first response, engagement with the prisoner, and the provision of flexible, individual and accountable care. It is supported by improved staff training in assessing and understanding at-risk prisoners.
Prisons: Overcrowding
Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps the Government are taking to reduce overcrowding in prisons. [205537]
Mr. Straw: In December 2007 the Government announced their response to Lord Carter of Coles’ report on prisons, including measures to both increase the supply of prison places and reduce the demand for them.
The Government are committed to increasing prison capacity by providing an additional 10,500 places, on top of their previously announced 9,500 place building programme, with the aim of achieving overall capacity of 96,000 places by 2014.
The Criminal Justice and Immigration Act will give effect to measures recommended by Lord Carter to reduce the demand for prison places. These will start to have an impact later this year.
The measures we are taking will ease the pressure on the prison estate. No prison will be expected to operate at a level of crowding beyond that agreed by the Prison Service area manager (or the Regional Offender Manager, in the case of a contracted prison).
Prime Minister
Committee on the Grant of Honours Decorations and Medals
Dr. Murrison: To ask the Prime Minister who the members are of the Committee on Honours, Decorations and Medals; to what role each was appointed; what relevant experience each has; how long each has served on the Committee; for what period the appointment of each runs; and if he will make a statement. [203505]
Edward Miliband: I have been asked to reply.
Secretariat support for the Committee on the Grant of Honours, Decorations and Medals is provided by the Ceremonial Secretariat based in the Cabinet Office. The cost of the secretariat is accounted for in the departmental report and accounts.
The committee is made up of the following members:
Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Home Civil Service (Chair)
Private Secretary to The Sovereign
Permanent Secretary, Prime Minister's Office
Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Defence
Defence Services Secretary
Permanent Secretary Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Permanent Secretary, Home Office
Secretary of the Central Chancery of the Orders of Knighthood
Ceremonial Officer of the Cabinet Office (Secretary).
All members of the committee have extensive careers in public administration and/or as members of the armed forces or the diplomatic service. As the posts are ex officio, members serve on the committee while they hold their current posts.
It is established practice not to disclose the details of internal discussion and advice.
Transport
Aviation: Fuels
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much aviation fuel she estimates has been used in the UK in each year from 1997 to date. [206171]
Jim Fitzpatrick: Aviation fuel consumption in the UK for each year from 1997 to 2006 is shown in the table as follows.
| All aviation fuels (million tonnes) | |
| Note: Aviation fuels = aviation turbine fuel and aviation spirit. Source: Transport Statistics Great Britain, Table 3.1 | |
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