HC Deb 11 March 1997 vol 292 cc126-7W
Mr. George Howarth

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 29 January,Official Report, column 211, if he will list the prisons involved in the research project carried out by the university of Oxford centre for criminological research; what type of (a) drug testing and (b) methodology this research project will employ; if it will include recommendations for future Prison Service drug policy in its final report; and if he will publish the results of the research. [18747]

Miss Widdecombe

Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

Letter from Hugh Taylor to Mr. George Howarth, dated 11 March 1997:

The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your recent Question about the research project being carried by the University of Oxford Centre for Criminological Research.

The project has as its focus the Mandatory Drug Testing Programme introduced in all prisons from April 1996. The researchers will obtain information using structured interviews with prisoners and staff, at each of the five establishments involved in the study: Wellingborough; Long Lartin; Onley; New Hall; and Swansea. No drug testing takes place as part of the study.

The researchers' report may make recommendations for policy. Generally findings of research in prisons are published.

Mr. Howarth

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 29 January,Official Report, column 211, what methodology the research project carried out by the national addiction centre will use; if it will include recommendations for future Prison Service drug policy in its final report; and if he will publish the results of the research. [18748]

Miss Widdecombe

Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

Letter from Hugh Taylor to Mr. George Howarth, dated 11 March 1997:

The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your recent question about the research project being carried out by the National Addiction Centre.

The researchers have been asked to compare information on the prevalence of drug misuse in prison obtained from The Mandatory Drug Testing programme, the specific characteristics of the drugs in use in prison and information on the criminal and other background of prisoners, with a view to identifying factors and trends in prisoner drug abuse while in prison.

Where appropriate the researchers have been asked to make recommendations on future Prison Service Drugs policy. Generally findings of research in prisons are published.

Mr. Howarth

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to incorporate random drug testing in the Prison Service key performance indicator for mandatory drug testing. [18746]

Miss Widdecombe

Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

Letter from Hugh Taylor to Mr. George Howarth, dated 11 March 1997:

The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your recent Question about the incorporation of random drug testing in the Prison Service's mandatory drug testing key performance indicator.

Random drug testing already forms the basis of the Service's key performance indicator in respect of mandatory drug testing. In 1996–97 the target is for the percentage of random drug tests in which the result is positive to be lower in the fourth quarter than in the first.