§ Mr. MichaelTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were being held in prisons in England and Wales(a) on remand regarding alleged drugs offices and (b) following sentence for trafficking in drugs on the last date for which information is available. [18377]
§ Miss WiddecombeResponsibility for this matter has been delegated to the temporary Director General of the Prison Service, who as been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter from A. J. Pearson to Mr. Alun Michael, dated 5 March 1996:
The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question asking, how many people were being held in prisons in England and Wales (a) on remand regarding alleged drugs offences and (b) following sentence for trafficking in drugs on the last date for which information is available.
On 31 January 1996 there were 1,150 remand persons held in Prison Service 'establishments in England and Wales for drug offences.
An analysis of the sentenced prison population by principal drugs offence on 30 June 1994 is given in the Table 1(d) of Prison Statistics England and Wales 1994 (Cm 3087) a copy of which is available from the library. On that date 800 persons were held for unlawful supply, 1,100 for possession with intent to supply unlawfully and 1,200 for unlawful import/export.