§ Sir Norman FowlerTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what assessment he has made of the advantages of introducing drug detecting devices into prisons in accordance with the proposal of the Chief Inspector of Prisons in his recent annual report; and if he will make a statement; [48175]
(2) what assessment he has made of the advantages of using dogs in prisons to detect illegal drugs in accordance with the proposal of the Chief Inspector of Prisons in his recent annual report; and if he will make a statement. [48174]
§ Ms Quin[holding answer 30 June 1998]: Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons, Sir David Ramsbotham, recommends that every prison is provided with a passive drug detector dog to screen visitors and to patrol landings. The Prison Service believes that use of drug dogs is helpful in detecting drugs and deterring some prisoners and their visitors from using or smuggling them. So far the Prison Service has about 30 passive detector dogs, capable of screening visitors, and this number is increasing rapidly. The Prison Service is considering options for providing wider cover. The same dogs could not be used to screen cells from the outside at night, as Sir David suggests. However, about half of prisons have active drug dogs trained to detect drugs during a cell search, and such dogs are available to all other prisons from a central pool.
187WThe Prison Service has a continuing programme of research into contraband detection technology. A field trial of two pieces of trace detection equipment is now being evaluated by the Police Scientific Development Branch on behalf of the Prison Service.
§ Sir Norman FowlerTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if, in the new trials announced by his Department for providing disinfecting tablets for prisoners who inject drugs, inmates will be allowed to remain anonymous; and if he will make a statement. [48168]
§ Mr. George Howarth[holding answer 30 June 1998]: The trials are being planned so that prisoners may obtain disinfecting tablets under conditions of anonymity. The prison governors of the 11 establishments involved are being asked to put in place arrangements so that disinfecting tablets are easily available and that those prisoners who use them are not targeted as injecting drugs users.
The arrangements for ensuring anonymity may have to vary from prison to prison to take account of security requirements, regime and physical layout. This is one aspect of the trials which will be closely examined by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, who will independently evaluate the scheme.