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Compulsorily Detained Mental Patients: Terrorism

Asked by Jack RankinConservativeMinistry of JusticeTabled Answered 16 July 2026UIN 18472

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether all people convicted of terrorism offences who are discharged from detention under the Mental Health Act 1983 are subject to a formal terrorism risk assessment before release.

Answered by Jake Richards

The information on how many people convicted of terrorism offences have been discharged from detention under the Mental Health Act 1983 in each of the last 10 years requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Not all people convicted of terrorist offences discharged from detention under the Mental Health Act 1983 (MHA) are subject to a specific formal terrorist risk assessment. There are a range of risk management tools used both within the hospital and prison settings which assess and seek to mitigate the terrorist risk an offender will present when detained under the MHA and prior to being discharged from a hospital to the community or to return to prison. Additionally, these offenders will be part of Multi Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA).

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