HC Deb 03 May 1994 vol 242 cc403-5W
Mr. Redmond

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many different types of drugs have been found in each Her Majesty's prison, Her Majesty's remand centre and Her Majesty's detention centre in(a) South Yorkshire, (b) North Yorkshire, (c) West Yorkshire and (d) Humberside in each year since 1989;

(2) how many visitors have been found in possession of illegal drugs at each Her Majesty's prison, Her Majesty's remand centre and Her Majesty's detention centre in (a) South Yorkshire, (b) North Yorkshire, (c) West Yorkshire, and (d) Humberside in each year since 1989; and what subsequent action was taken against them;

(3) if he will list by Her Majesty's prison and Her Majesty's remand or detention centre in (a) South Yorkshire, (b) North Yorkshire, (c) West Yorkshire and (d) Humberside, how many incidents of drug abuse were discovered in each year since 1989 to date.

Mr. Peter Lloyd

Responsibility for these matters 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 A. J. Butler to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 3 May 1994: The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your recent Questions about the number of different types of drugs found; the number of visitors who have been found in possession of illegal drugs and the number of incidents of drug abuse in each prison, remand centre and detention centre in (a) South Yorkshire, (b) North Yorkshire, (c) West Yorkshire and (d) Humberside in each year since 1989; Information about these incidents is readily available since 25 September 1990 only. The tables attached provide information on drug finds including drugs finds on visitors. Apart from the information given in the attached table and adjudications statistics, information about the number of incidents of drug abuse is not recorded centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Different types of drugs found in each prison
Establishment 1990 1991 1992 1993
SOUTH YORKSHIRE
Lindholme
Cannabis 11 37 36 29
Cannabis Plant 1 1 5 5
Cocaine 0 2 0 0
LSD 0 2 3 0
Heroin 0 0 3 4
Amphetamines 0 0 2 5
Barbiturates 0 0 0 1
Other 0 5 8 5
Moorland
Cannabis 0 21 76 101
Cannabis Plant 0 2 2 4
Cocaine 0 0 3 1
LSD 0 0 1 2
Amphetamines 0 0 1 2
Other 0 0 0 5

Establishment 1990 1991 1992 1993
Hatfield
Cannabis 1 4 4 6
NORTH YORKSHIRE
Full Sutton
Cannabis 0 6 4 16
Cannabis Plant 0 0 1 2
Cocaine 0 0 2 1
Heroin 0 0 1 3
Amphetamines 0 0 0 1
Other 0 0 2 3
Askham Grange
Cannabis Plant 0 1 0 0
Cocaine 0 0 1 0
Amphetamines 0 0 0 1
Other 0 0 1 0
Northallerton
Cannabis 1 2 4 4
Cannabis Plant 0 0 0 1
LSD 0 1 0 0
WEST YORKSHIRE
Northallerton
Cannabis 0 8 1 3
Cannabis Plant 0 0 0 1
Heroin 0 0 0 2
Other 0 0 2 0
Thorp Arch
Cannabis 4 0 0 0
Wetherby
Cannabis 0 7 1 3
Leeds
Cannabis 2 2 2 7
Heroin 0 0 1 1
New Hall
Cannabis 12 5 3 3
Cocaine 0 4 0 1
LSD 0 0 0 1
Heroin 1 0 2 0
Other 0 0 2 0
Wakefield
Cannabis 0 6 3 10
Cannabis Plant 0 0 0 1
Cocaine 0 0 1 0
HUMBERSIDE
Everthorpe
Cannabis 2 5 4 4
Heroin 0 0 0 1
Hull
Cannabis 9 4 13 16
Cannabis Plant 0 0 0 2
Heroin 0 0 2 2
Amphetamines 0 0 0 1
Barbiturates 1 0 0 0
Other 0 0 2 0
The Wolds
Cannabis 0 0 9 51
Cannabis Plant 0 0 0 2
Heroin 0 0 0 5
Amphetamines 0 0 0 3
Other 0 0 5 3

Number of visitors found with, or suspected of possessing, illegal drugs
Establishment 1990 1991 1992 1993
South Yorkshire
Lindholme 0 2 1 0
Moorland 0 0 6 3
Hatfield 0 0 0 0
North Yorkshire
Full Sutton 0 2 2 6
Askham Grange 0 0 0 0
Northallerton 0 0 1 0
West Yorkshire
Rudgate 1 0 0 0
Thorp Arch 0 0 0 0
Wetherby 0 0 0 0
Leeds 0 0 2 0
New Hall 0 0 1 0
Wakefield 0 0 0 2
Humberside
Everthorpe 0 0 0 0
Hull 4 0 3 0
The Wolds 0 0 1 13

All cases were reported to the local police.

Mr. Burns

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what plans he has to allocate sniffer dogs to each prison to help combat the problem of illegal drugs; and if he will make a statement;

(2) what plans he has to ensure sniffer dogs inspect all prisons on a regular basis throughout the year to help combat the problem of illegal drugs; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Peter Lloyd

Responsibility for these matters 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 A. J. Butler to Mr. Simon Burns, dated 3 May 1994: The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your recent Questions about allocating sniffer dogs to each prison and ensuring sniffer dogs inspect prisons on a regular basis to help combat the problem of illegal drugs. There are no plans to allocate dogs trained to search out drugs to each prison. At present, 68 dogs (almost all of which are also guard dogs) in the Prison Service have been trained to detect illegal drugs. This figure will rise to 76 by mid-May when the current training course is completed. These dogs can be used at any prison where a Governor wants a drug search undertaken. It is for individual Governors to determine the extent to which drug trained dogs are used in their establishments. In the nine months from April to December establishments. In the nine months from April to December 1993, 459 drug searches were undertaken by the Prison Service drug dogs. In addition to these dogs, we have started to train other dogs for allocation to prisons that do not routinely have guard dogs. These dogs will work solely on drug searching and will be allocated to prisons where Governors have requested them.