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Written question asked by Rudi Vis (Labour) on Tuesday, 16 December 2003, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 7 January 2004. It was answered by Paul Goggins (Labour) on Wednesday, 7 January 2004 on behalf of the Home Office.

Home Office

Question
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people have been prevented from committing suicide in 2003; how many people are in a persistent vegetative state as a result of attempting to hang themselves in prisons. - Inc figures and fact that Prison Health do not collate this info centrally.
Answer

Dr. Vis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many people have been prevented from committing suicide in 2003; [145088] (2) how many people are in a persistent vegetative state as a result of attempting to hang themselves in prisons. [145092] Paul Goggins: The Prison Service is aware of one case of a prisoner in a persistent vegetative state as a result of attempting to hang themselves in prison. Prison Health (now a part of the Department of Health) do not collate this information centrally. In 2003 (to 31 October), 176 prisoners in England and Wales have been resuscitated following acts of self- harm, which reflect a considerable amount of staff effort and expertise. Many more prisoners are supported through periods of crisis with the help of numerous agencies and support mechanisms available to them in custody. All prisons offer access to the Samaritans, and most prisons operate peer support schemes, most commonly the Samaritans Listener Scheme. Further avenues of support include counselling and help with a range of issues including: substance misuse, healthcare, mental health problems and contact with home.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
416 c421-2W; 145088;145092
Session
2003-04
Subjects
Prisoners Prisons Suicide Self-harm Persistent vegetative state
Contains statistics
Yes
Link
View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk