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The Earl of Courtown: My Lords, the noble Baroness asked a number of questions. I shall make every effort to answer as many as possible. The last thing the noble Baroness mentioned before the "Panorama" programme was the factors contributing to an individual's suicide, which we must all agree is tragic for all those concerned. There is no hard evidence that environmental conditions in a prison cause suicides. The quality of relationships between staff and prisoners may, for example, be of greater significance than prison conditions. The noble Baroness quoted also the Director General of the Prison Service. He has said that the Prison Service is doing everything possible further to reduce the number. We believe that the preventive strategies we have developed in prisons over the past few years have helped and will continue to do so. The noble Baroness commented also on the figures relating to remand prisoners. She is correct. The percentages relating to the young are reflected throughout the whole of the prison population.
Lord Taylor of Gryfe: My Lords, I am conscious of the fact that the Minister is not responsible for prisons in Scotland. However, will he convey to his right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Scotland
that the concerns expressed by the noble Baroness, Lady Williams, are shared by the people of Scotland? Is he aware that during the past 18 months in the only women's prison in Scotland there have been 12 suicides or attempted suicides? Six young women have taken their lives in that one prison, and four should not have been there at all as they were on remand. Is this not a serious matter that should be addressed with some urgency?
The Earl of Courtown: My Lords, the noble Lord, Lord Taylor, is correct in saying that this is a serious matter. As I said in a previous answer, it is a tragedy to all those involved, including families and those working in the prison service. I believe that the noble Lord refers to Cornton Vale Prison, which is a female remand prison. Many of those who took their lives were involved in drug-related offences. I understand that fatal accident inquiries will begin later in the year, and of course I shall pass on his thoughts to my right honourable friend.
Lord Marsh: My Lords, as a proportion of the non-prison population, these figures appear to be very high indeed. Can the Minister indicate, first, whether that is so and, secondly, the type of research that is being undertaken to understand the cause?
The Earl of Courtown: My Lords, the noble Lord, Lord Marsh, is correct in saying that the figures are high. One must remember that those entering prisons are perhaps mentally introverted and do not want to tell people what their problems are. We are aware that there is a problem and we are making every effort to improve the situation. In particular, we are emphasising specific areas in which we believe improvements can be made: for instance, the communication of risk information; better targeting of staff training; re-examining the use of shared and unfurnished accommodation; improving reception and induction screening for prisoners and the reassessment of the special needs of young offenders and female offenders.
Lord Campbell of Alloway: My Lords, can my noble friend say what proportion of those suicides or attempted suicides were committed by those kept in isolation?
The Earl of Courtown: My Lords, I apologise to my noble friend. I do not have those figures available.
Lord McIntosh of Haringey: My Lords, understandably, the Minister's answers concern what can be done in prison. But, surely, arising from his first Answer, a major part of the problem is the wrongful remand in custody of those who are mentally unstable or at risk of doing harm to themselves. Should not his answers be extended to cover guidance to the courts about that important aspect of the problem?
The Earl of Courtown: My Lords, throughout the existing system, when individuals are arrested by the police and go before the magistrate, whether remanded
on bail or going further into the prison system, reports are sent back to those affected in order to inform them of those who are at risk of these dreadful tragedies.
Baroness Masham of Ilton: My Lords, can the Minister say whether all prisoners are given the telephone number of the Samaritans and whether bullying is one of the problems?
The Earl of Courtown: My Lords, of course the Samaritans are heavily involved in visiting prisoners. They also train prisoners as listeners to help their fellow prisoners. I believe that 80 prisons in the Prison Service have that action in progress.
The Lord Privy Seal (Viscount Cranborne): My Lords, I am conscious of the fact that we have two more Questions. I hope that your Lordships will agree that we should give them a fair crack of the whip.
Hospitals: Additional Finance
2.55 p.m.
Lord Dean of Beswick asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether any further and additional financial resources are to be made available to hospitals which are having to treat an increased number of patients due to the recent cold weather.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Baroness Cumberlege): My Lords, yes, an additional £25 million has been made available to support the NHS with this winter's pressures.
Lord Dean of Beswick: My Lords, I thank the Minister for that Answer. Is she aware that I am not for one moment blaming the Government for the lengthy period of inclement weather that has resulted in the pressure on certain hospitals. Does she recall that a few weeks ago I asked a Question which emanated from a document published by the BMA which predicted that there would be severe pressure on certain hospitals if resources were not made available immediately? Does the Minister agree that the BMA was right to say that and was not crying wolf, as the Minister then indicated? Will she accept from me that although the resources she has mentioned have been made available, they appear on the surface to be inadequate to deal with the very serious situation in which some hospitals find themselves today?
Baroness Cumberlege: My Lords, the noble Lord is right in saying that one of the problems this winter has been not only the bad weather but the coincidence of the flu epidemic. That epidemic has not only had an influence on admissions. The number of emergency admissions is the highest ever. It has also affected the nursing staff. So the health service has been under
pressure. I find the issue of resources very interesting since the shadow Chancellor made his announcements yesterday. I now imagine that the Labour Party believes that the level of resources we allocate to the health service is about right.
Lord Clark of Kempston: My Lords, does my noble friend agree that in view of the shadow Chancellor's statement yesterday it ill becomes members of the Opposition to ask for an increase in public expenditure without saying where it is to come from? Does she also agree that despite the fact that the shadow Chancellor said that the standard rate of tax would remain the same he said nothing about decreased personal allowances for tax purposes or an increase in the national insurance contribution?
Baroness Cumberlege: My Lords, yes.
Lord Beaumont of Whitley: My Lords, is the Minister aware that the efforts of some hospitals to try to free their beds is frustrated by the fact that certain social services departments are unable to help with the release of patients into the outside world because they closed down for three weeks during Christmas. That happened in the case of the Wandsworth social services department? Can the Minister give some guidance to councils on the matter?
Baroness Cumberlege: My Lords, the noble Lord is right. Clearly, there must be close liaison between the health services and the social services. One of the reasons why we have problems with bed blocking is the fact that social services are not taking patients who are ready to go home. We have allocated £16 million to try to resolve the situation.
Lord Jenkin of Roding: My Lords, when, as the Minister has described, those manning accident and emergency units and emergency wards are under huge pressure, with doctors and nurses, many of whose colleagues are off sick, working extremely long hours, is it not deeply dispiriting for them when all they read in the newspapers are complaints about long waiting lists, trolley waits and crowded A&E departments? Will the Minister now publicly thank them, as I have thanked our people, for a period of immensely hard work when we kept the service going?
Baroness Cumberlege: My Lords, I am grateful to my noble friend. As the chairman of a trust he will know only too well the pressures that hospitals have been under and the enormous commitment that staff make in order to keep the services going. I very much welcome the opportunity to thank those staff. They have been under great pressure this winter. As always, doctors, nurses, paramedics, therapists, porters and all those involved in the National Health Service have come up trumps.
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