HC Deb 18 April 1995 vol 258 cc91-2W
Mr. Flynn

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his most recent estimate of the percentage of prisoners who(a) use illegal drugs and (b) are addicted to illegal drugs. [18157]

Mr. Michael Forsyth

[holding answer 4 April 1995]: 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. Paul Flynn, dated 18 April 1995: The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question on the extent of drug misuse and addiction in prisons. Information on prisoners who use illegal drugs is not currently available. However, the first phase of a mandatory drug testing programme has already begun in seven establishments. This is being carefully monitored and will help to guide the implementation of testing in all Prison Service establishments. As part of the programme, prisoners are required to participate in random drug testing. This will provide information on the level of drug misuse in prison. The information currently available on the extent of drug addition amongst prisoners is limited to that provided by the Home Office Addicts Index. During 1994 4,784 drug addicts were identified by prison medical officers in England, Scotland and Wales.