HC Deb 01 November 1994 vol 248 cc1060-1W
Mr. Cox

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prison inmates(a) men and (b) women have been charged and found guilty of being in possession of drugs in prisons in England and Wales since 1 January.

Mr. Michael Forsyth

Responsibility for this matter 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 Derek Lewis to Mr. Tom Cox, dated 1 November 1994:

The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question asking how many inmates in prisons in England and Wales were charged and found guilty of being in possession of drugs since 1 January. The provisional figures for January—september 1994 show 1,722 proved adjudication findings for male inmates and 13 for female inmates charged with being in possession of controlled drugs. The figures include any proved charges of inciting or assisting other prisoners to possess controlled drugs.

Mr. Cox

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many visitors to each of the prisons in England and Wales have been charged with attempting to take drugs into a prison since 1 January.

Mr. Michael Forsyth

Responsibility for this matter 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 Derek Lewis to Mr. Tom Cox, dated 1 November 1994: The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about the number of visitors to prisons in England and Wales who have been charged with attempting to take drugs into prison since 1 January. The Prison Service does not keep a central record of decisions by the police to bring charges.