Oral question asked in the House of Lords, by Baroness Stern (Crossbench). It was answered on Thursday, 29 January 2009.

Prisoners: Disabilities

Question: My Lords, has the Minister seen the report of the independent monitoring board of Birmingham prison? I declare an interest as president of the Association of Members of Independent Monitoring Boards. The report notes failures to collect mandatory statistics on disability so that the numbers are not known, low levels of staff commitment, wheelchair users being located on the upper floor when the lift is not working and no one being trained in British sign language. Can the Minister tell the House when the situation in Birmingham, which is reported in similar prisons, is likely to improve?

Answer: My Lords, I cannot tell the noble Baroness when the situation in Birmingham prison is likely to improve. That shows the huge value of the monitoring groups in all Her Majesty’s prisons. Overall, healthcare in prisons is improving. Huge extra resources have been put into that aspect. It is a priority for the Prison Service along with the new Prison Service order and the commitment to a single equality scheme that is to be published in April this year.

Secondary information

Type: Oral question
Reference: 707 c343
Session: 2008-09
Oral question type: Supplementary
Chamber / Committee: House of Lords chamber
Subjects: Disability Chronic illnesses Prisoners Training HM Prison Service Prison governors Prison officers
Link: View this Oral question on www.publications.parliament.uk