§ Mr. BeithTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many full-time mandatory drug testing officers are operating in prisons; and if he will make a statement. [16536]
§ Ms QuinMandatory drug testing (MDT) of prisoners takes place in all prisons. However, it is not possible to identify the exact number of officers involved because, although in some larger establishments full-time MDT teams exist, in small establishments MDT work is often combined with other duties.
§ Mr. BeithTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many drug workers operate in prisons; and if he will make a statement. [16542]
§ Ms QuinThere are 110 community drug workers operating within 63 centrally funded drug treatment projects. These are in addition to a variety of Prison Service staff who are engaged in drug treatment work.
The Prison Service is currently reviewing its strategy to tackle drug misuse in prison. In part, the review will be examining how best drug treatment programmes can be made available in the future, including the development of a national directory of drug treatment services that establishments can utilise.