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European prison rules. The United Nations Standard Minimum Rules were reflected in the Prison Rules 1964, which applied to England and Wales; similar rules applied in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
22. In reply to a question from Mr. Dipanda Mouelle, he explained that prison staff were never armed and that, in the event of serious disturbance, the police were called in.
23. With regard to articles 60 and 61 of the initial report of the United Kingdom, he said that training for law enforcement personnel stressed the importance of never abusing their authority and never ill-treating the persons in their care. As to prison medical officers, the Prison Standing Order No. 13, which specifically covered health questions, repeated the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules, which prison staff had to observe at all times. He agreed, however, in the light of the comments of several members of the Committee, that it would be sensible to see whether the current provisions in the United Kingdom did correspond to the country's obligations under article 10 of the Convention.
24. Replying to a question from Mr. Mikhailov, he said that the term "child care employers" in paragraphs 160 et seq. of the report applied to all those responsible for the welfare of children, including local authorities and public or private organizations who ran children's homes. In the event of a complaint of ill-treatment, an inquiry had to be carried out with the participation of an independent person.
25.
In reply to another question from Mr. Mikhailov, he confirmed that the Mental Health Act Commission was not a judicial body, but an independent statutory body.
26. Mr. Perlas had expressed concern at the provisions of the Criminal Procedure Insanity Act 1964. That Act had been replaced by the Criminal Procedure, Insanity and Unfitness to Plead Act 1991, which provided many more possibilities for a person recognized unfit to plead, including guardianship, discharge into the community under supervision, etc. In the case of a prisoner transferred to a hospital, the restrictions applied for the period of the initial sentence; the matter was then for the hospital or the social services.
27. Mr. MORRIS (United Kingdom) said that he would deal with all the questions covering Northern Ireland and, in particular, the powers of the police, detention and some aspects of the judicial process. In that connection, the Government of the United Kingdom fully understood the concerns of the Committee. For its part, the Committee should try to understand the situation in Northern Ireland. As stated in the report of the United Kingdom, almost 2,000 persons had lost their lives in Northern Ireland since 1974. Even in those threatening circumstances, the United Kingdom wished it to be known that it fully accepted its obligations under the Convention and welcomed the possibility of responding to the probing questions of the Committee. The United Kingdom hoped that the Committee would accept that the measures introduced sometimes very reluctantly corresponded to the reality of the
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