§ Mr. Alex CarlileTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will break down by class the illegal drugs found on prisoners in England and Wales in the last available year; what assessment he has made of the advantage of restricting the visiting privileges available to prisoners who are tested positive for drug use and found in possession of illegal drugs; and if he will make a statement. [29394]
§ Miss WiddecombeResponsibility 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 A. J. Butler to Mr. Alex Carlile, dated 16 May 1996:
The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your recent Question asking for a break down by class of illegal drugs found on prisoners; and for an assessment of the advantage of restricting the visiting privileges available to prisoners who test positive for drugs and who are found in possession of illegal drugs.
Information is held centrally about drug finds reported by establishments and includes finds in various locations as well as finds on prisoners. Information relating to finds on prisoners could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
The breakdown by class of the illegal drugs finds reported by prisons in England and Wales during the 1995/96 financial year is shown in the table below.
Number Class A 1,019 Class B 7,020 Class C 81 Total 8,120 There were a further 404 finds for which no classification is available. As part of its drugs strategy, the Prison Service is introducing in a number of prisons, on a trial basis, mandatory closed or non contact visits for any prisoner found, through mandatory drug testing to have misused drugs, or who is known or reasonably suspected to have dealt in drugs in any way. This initiative will be carefully assessed and evaluated to see whether it should be extended to the rest of the prison estate.