§ Mr. LansleyTo ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what targets are to be set for reducing the use of drugs in prisons; and what specific measures relate to those targets. [119930]
§ Mr. Ian McCartneyMy Department has agreed the following targets with the Prison Service:
By March 2000
Have established CARATs, (Counselling, Assessment, Referral, Advice and Throughcare) the basic treatment framework to improve the assessment, advice throughcare and support of prisoners; and put in place more and better quality treatment programmes.Put in place more dogs trained to detect drugs; more CCTV in visits areas; obtain better information about supply routes and availability of drugs to prisoners; and discourage families from smuggling drugs.By March 2002
Ensure that the CARATs annual caseload reached 20,000; that there are 30 new prison-based rehabilitation programmes and that 5,000 prisoners per year go through treatment programmes.Have developed and implemented a model to assess the levels and routes of supply of drugs within prisons.618WTo reduce the rate of positive tests from prison random drug tests from 20 per cent. (in 1998–99) to 16 per cent.The targets for March 2000 have been met through the introduction of CARATs in all prisons and twenty-one new treatment programmes. A further eight treatment programmes and four new therapeutic communities will start this year. There are 60 new passive and twelve new active drug dogs, bringing the totals to 121 and 196 respectively. CCTV is available in visits areas in 118 prisons. Improving intelligence is an ongoing task. New sanctions for visitors caught smuggling drugs were introduced in April 1999. They include a ban on the visitors concerned and the imposition of closed visits for three months.The Prison Service is on course to meet these targets.
§ Mr. LansleyTo ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what meetings she has had in the last year with prison governors on the reduction of drug use in prisons. [119961]
§ Mr. Ian McCartneyNone. My right hon. Friend the Minster for the Cabinet Office visited HMP Kirklevington Grange at Yarm, Cleveland, on Friday 11 February. This visit was to launch the Learning Labs initiative and to meet participants on the Prisoners' Passport project. On this occasion the prison governor was unable to be present.
§ Mr. LansleyTo ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if she will give details of the financial support provided by her Department for programmes designed to reduce the use of drugs in prisons. [119959]
§ Mr. Ian McCartneyThe Prison Service receives no financial support from the Cabinet Office to support its drugs strategy.
The Prison Service received an additional £76 million from HM Treasury for the three year period 1999–2000 to 2001–02 for its drugs strategy as a result of the Comprehensive Spending Review.