256.—(1) This section applies in relation to a person (“P”) who is—
(a)detained under a public protection order; or
(b)detained in a hospital under a hospital direction or a hospital transfer direction made under section 211, 214 or 220.
(2) If it appears to the Department of Justice that the conditions for removal to England or Wales are met in P’s case, that Department may authorise P’s removal to England or Wales and may give any necessary directions for P’s conveyance there.
(3) The conditions for removal to England or Wales are that—
(a)failure to remove P to England or (as the case may be) Wales would be more likely than not to result in serious physical or psychological harm to P or serious physical harm to other persons; and
(b)arrangements have been made for admitting P to a hospital in England or Wales in which care or treatment which is appropriate in P’s case is available for him or her.
(4) Where P is removed from Northern Ireland under this section, the order or direction mentioned in subsection (1) ceases to have effect when P leaves Northern Ireland (within the meaning given by section 98 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998); but this is subject to subsection (6).
(5) Subsection (6) applies where—
(a)P is not admitted to a hospital in England or Wales, and
(b)P returns to Northern Ireland at any time before the end of period for which the order or direction mentioned in subsection (1) would have continued in force (but for P’s removal).
(6) Subsection (4) ceases to apply to the order or direction, so that (accordingly) the order or direction applies to P on P’s return to Northern Ireland.
(7) In subsections (3)(b) and (5)(a) “hospital” has the same meaning as in the 1983 Act.