Mary Henry (Independent)

I assure the Senator this is not being done to stigmatise those who are mentally ill but to ensure absolute clarity. While a criminal act may have been carried out by such people when they suffered from hallucinations, delusions and so on, by the time they are dealt with, they could be perfectly rational because of treatment. I am trying to establish whether the Minister proposes to segregate individuals admitted via the Central Mental Hospital, for example. While we do not need to discuss the prison escort service because the problem has been solved, my anxiety relates to whether these individuals will be stigmatised by being segregated. I agree with doctors who say it is not suitable to put a hospital on the same site as a prison and I have raised this several times with the Minister. I wonder how people who are mentally ill will be dealt with when they are moved from hospital to prison. The Minister has also made provision for children, another group about whom I would like clarity.