§ Mr. StinchcombeTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners have had(a) visits curtailed and (b) closed visits enforced because of drugs being smuggled during prison visits in the latest period for which figures are available. [88302]
§ Mr. George HowarthInformation on closed visits enforced because of drug smuggling is not yet available centrally. Information on curtailed visits is not collated centrally.
§ Mr. StinchcombeTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what research he has(a) commissioned and (b) evaluated into a correlation between drug abuse and the level of opportunity for work, training or recreation in prison. [88305]
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§ Mr. George HowarthNo research has been commissioned specifically into the correlation between drug misuse and the level of opportunity for work, training or recreation in prison. However, we have set targets for purposeful activity within prison regimes based on the belief that constructive and structured regimes can contribute towards a reduction in offending of all kinds.
§ Mr. StinchcombeTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what quantities of what unauthorised drugs were found in HM prisons and young offenders' institutions in each of the last five calendar years. [88301]
§ Mr. George HowarthInformation on the number of seizures of different drugs found in prison establishments is outlined in the table. However, data on quantities of drugs found are not available.
Drug finds in prisons in England and Wales 1994–98 Type of drug found 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 Amphetamines 120 242 197 161 152 Barbiturates 70 82 56 41 23 Cannabis Resin 4,859 6,442 4,897 4,093 3,054 Cannabis Herbal 252 288 223 240 188 Cocaine 108 143 97 98 86 Crack 0 12 21 32 39 Heroin 350 678 1,034 992 1,079 LSD 49 28 18 11 11 Other (Miscellaneous) 406 643 673 548 454 Total 6,214 8,561 7,216 6,216 5,086
§ Mr. MalinsTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many mandatory drug tests on prisoners proved(a) positive and (b) negative in the last 12 months for which figures are available; and in what proportion of positive tests disciplinary action was taken. [88708]
§ Mr. George HowarthIn 1998, 88,304 mandatory drug tests were undertaken, and some 20,152 of those tests were positive for drugs. This figure includes results from both random and targeted tests. During 1998, a total of 15,672 offences of "unauthorised use of a controlled drug" were punished under the Prison Rules. Not all positive tests lead to disciplinary action for a number of reasons including:
If a prisoner were imprisoned for less than the retention period of the drug that tested positive, no charge could be laid because the misuse could have taken place whilst in the community. The maximum retention time for benzodiazepines and cannabis is 30 days.Similarly, if a prisoner tested positive twice within a short space of time, they might not be charged on the second occasion because both positive results could have arisen from the same incident of misuse.A prisoner might be released after being tested but before any charge could be laid.A few prisons operate a policy of cautioning a prisoner outside an adjudication for a first offence of cannabis misuse.There will always be a small number of cases where a procedural error, for example failure to charge within 48 hours of the discovery of an offence, means that the case cannot proceed to adjudication.
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