House of Assembly - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2009-03-25 Daily Xml

Contents

MENTAL HEALTH BEDS

Mrs REDMOND (Heysen) (15:16): Has the Attorney-General received any representation from the Director of Public Prosecutions that the lack of forensic mental health beds is impairing the capacity of the DPP's office to manage people on section 269 mental health licences?

On 19 March, the head of the Parole Board, Frances Nelson, said that the Director of Public Prosecutions was 'reluctant to ask courts to revoke mental health orders because of the shortage of beds in such facilities as James Nash House'. Under this government, the average daily prison population has increased by 31 per cent, yet over the same period not one more forensic mental health bed has been provided.

The Hon. M.J. ATKINSON (Croydon—Attorney-General, Minister for Justice, Minister for Multicultural Affairs, Minister for Veterans' Affairs) (15:17): I am not aware of those representations but, if there were any such representations, I will get a copy of them and get them to the member for Heysen.