2333. Hon Alison Xamon to the Leader of the House representing the Attorney General:
I refer to the Office of the Inspector of Custodial Services 2018 report, Prisoner access to secure mental health treatment, and to concerns regarding the lack of assistance available to magistrates over the weekend to assess whether a hospital order is appropriate, and I ask:
(a) has this issue now been addressed;
(b) if yes to (a), how;
(c) if no to (a), why not; and
(d) how many individuals were remanded in custody over a weekend waiting for an assessment about their ability to be in court in 2019 to date?
Hon Sue Ellery replied:
(a) No.
(b) Not applicable.
(c) Funding was provided for the Northbridge Court for Sunday sittings that mirrored the services provided for the Saturday sittings which comprised funding for a magistrate and support staff, Legal Aid services, Police prosecuting services, Adult Community Correction services and court custody and security service.
(d) This information is not recorded in the Court’s case management system.