HL Deb 08 February 1996 vol 569 cc31-4WA
Lord Hylton

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Since the introduction of mandatory drug testing in prisons, how many tests have been conducted in each prison and how many were positive; and how many were random tests, tests on suspicion and voluntary tests, respectively; and

How many prisoners have refused to be tested for drugs since mandatory drug tests were introduced; what types of substance have been detected in positive tests; what trend there has been in types of drug detected (for example, any shift from Class B to Class A); and

How many adjudications have resulted from positive drug tests since mandatory tests in prisons were introduced; how many of these resulted in awards of additional days; how many requests for home leave have been refused as a result of positive tests; and how these figures break down according to gender and ethnic group.

Baroness Blatch:

Responsibility for these matters has been delegated to the temporary Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

Letter to Lord Hylton front the Director of Operations—South, the Prison Service, Mr. Alan Walker, dated 8 February 1996:

Lady Blatch has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your recent Questions about the mandatory drug testing of prisoners.

Mandatory drug testing (MDT) began in eight pilot establishments in February 1995. A phased programme to introduce it in all remaining establishments began in September last year. Between February and November, some 4,961 screening tests were carried out under the MDT programme. The attached table shows the number of tests performed by each establishment. Five hundred and thirty-one of the screening tests were non-random (on suspicion; at reception; for risk assessment; or part of a frequent testing programme). Some laboratory returns have not discriminated between types of testing so it is not possible to provide a figure for on suspicion testing alone. Voluntary testing both pre-dates and is separate from the MDT programme, with several prisons opting to perform their own screening tests. Figures for the number of voluntary tests are not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Although figures for the number of positive tests by establishment are not yet available, results from the eight pilot prisons showed that of those prisoners tested at random, 36 per cent. tested positive for illicit drugs. The vast majority of positive tests were for cannabis (31 per cent.) with heroin (3 per cent.) and benzodiazepines (tranquillisers) (2 per cent.) being the next most frequently misused drugs. Other drug types such as cocaine, amphetamines, LSD and barbiturates are detected, but only in a very small number of prisoners. It is too early in the programme to identify any clear trends in prisoners' drug misuse or the type of drug detected.

Between February and December 1995 there were 1,972 proven adjudications for unauthorised use of a drug, 171 for refusal to provide a sample, and 16 for adulteration of a sample. The attached tables show the number of adjudications for drug offences, and how many adjudications resulted in awards of additional days, broken down both by sex and by ethnic group. Information on the number of applications for temporary release refused because of a positive drug test is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Mandatory drug testing samples submitted for screening by establishment February 1995—November 1995
Establishment Start date Samples screened
Belmarsh 06.11.95 39
Bristol 01.02.95 443
Canterbury 30.10.95 34
Cookham Wood 01.11.95 14
Dover 01.11.95 26
Drake Hall 21.11.95 4
Elmley 01.09.95 95
Everthorpe 15.09.95 70
Feltham 08.02.95 459
Haslar 02.11.95 10
Haverigg 11.10.95 88
Hindley 07.11.95 31
Holloway 18.04.95 314
Huntercombe 27.11.95 11
Kingston 01.11.95 9
Lancaster Farms 06.11.95 46
Lincoln 09.11.95 29
Lindholme 08.02.95 238
Littlehey 11.09.95 148
New Hall 07.11.95 10
Northallerton 02.09.95 36
North Sea Camp 21.11.95 15
Nottingham 16.11.95 4
Pentonville 20.02.95 780
Preston 03.10.95 65
Ranby 06.11.95 26
Reading 03.11.95 19
Risley 11.09.95 169
Rochester 01.10.95 69
Stafford 06.11.95 49
Stoke Heath 06.02.95 252
Styal 05.09.95 64
Sudbury 01.11.95 57
Swaleside 01.09.95 108
Thorn Cross 25 .10.95 31
Wakefield 01.03.95 498
Wayland 24.01.95 540
Whatton 21.11.95 26
Wymott 01.10.95 35
Grand Total 4,961

Punishments of unsuspended additional days1 2 for drug offences3 made in Prison Service establishments, by gender and ethnicity, February-December 1995
White Asian Black Chinese and other4
Number Average(days) Number Aver-age(days) Number Average(days) Number Average (days)
Males and Females 2,470 11.5 74 8 454 10 80 12
Possession 1,385 13.5 51 8 207 7 39 15
Selling 13 11 0 0 3 4 1 10
Unauthorised use 989 9.5 22 8 220 9 38 13
Refusal to provide a sample 76 15 1 4 22 9 2 4
Adulterate a sample 7 8 0 0 2 5 0 6
Males 2,407 12 74 15 450 12 77 13
Possession 1,362 13 51 15 207 14 38 15
Selling 13 11 0 0 3 8 0 10
Unauthorised use 951 11 22 15 216 9 37 17
Refusal to provide a sample 74 16 1 7 22 18 2 7
Adulterate a sample 7 8 0 0 2 11 0 11
Females 63 11 0 0 4 9 3 11
Possession 23 14 0 0 0 0 1 14
Selling — — 0 0 0 0 1 10
Unauthorised use 38 8 0 0 4 9 1 10
Refusal to provide a sample 2 14 0 0 0 0 0 0
Adulterate a sample — — 0 0 0 0 0 0
1 Excludes suspended and prospective punishments. Punishments other than additional days may also have been given concurrently for the offences shown.
2 The maximum number of additional days that a Governor could award was increased to 42 days on 25 April 1995.
3 Includes attempting. inciting and assisting.
4 Includes Asian other.

Total White Asian Black Chinese and other2
Males and Females 5.559 4,349 139 912 159
Possession 3,364 2,651 105 517 91
Selling 36 29 0 6 1
Unauthorised use 1,972 1,536 32 344 60
Refusal to provide a sample 171 121 2 41 7
Adulterate a sample 16 12 0 4 0
Males 5,445 4,249 139 904 153
Possession 3,315 2,605 105 515 90
Selling 34 28 0 6 0
Unauthorised use 1,911 1,485 32 338 56
Refusal to provide a sample 169 119 2 41 7
Adulterate a sample 16 12 0 4 0
Females. 114 100 0 8 6
Possession 49 46 0 2 1
Selling 2 1 0 0 1
Unauthorised use 61 51 0 6 4
Refusal to provide a sample 2 2 0 0 0
Adulterate a sample 0 0 0 0 0
1 Includes attempting, inciting and assisting.
2 Includes Asian other.