To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to ensure that information on offenders’ learning difficulties is provided (a) to the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) on admission to and (b) by the SPS to community services on discharge from custody.

I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:

Social Enquiry Reports and Trial Judge Reports may make reference to learning difficulty/disability issues. The SPS receive both reports and will follow up this information providing the prisoner consents to information being requested from their GP or other community based providers. Additionally, the SPS relies on prisoners self disclosing diagnosis of learning difficulty.

Where a prisoner is subject to post-release supervision community service providers are involved in the multi-agency Integrated Case Management (ICM) Community Integration Planning (CIP) process. The involvement of community service providers to this planning process facilitates two way communications of relevant information regarding learning difficulties/disabilities between the community and the SPS, including post release information.

In addition discharge summaries are sent to the GP’s where prisoner’s GP information is known and the prisoner wishes such information to be shared. In specific cases of extreme learning difficulty/disability which could affect the prisoner’s return to the community, a Care Programme Approach as used by the NHS may be initiated prior to the prisoner’s release from prison.