HC Deb 29 January 1997 vol 289 cc210-2W
Mr. George Howarth

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will list the total number of extra days which will be served in prison due to positive drug tests which have been taken since September 1996; [12383]

(2) if he will list the total number of extra days which will be served in prison due to positive drug tests which were taken before March 1996. [12382]

Miss Widdecombe

Responsibility for these matters 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 Richard Tilt to Mr. George Howarth, dated 29 January 1997:

The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Questions concerning the total number of extra days to be served due to positive drug tests.

This information is given in the table.

Unsuspended additional days awarded for all drug test offences for the periods requested
Period of adjudication Number of days Number of punishments
Before March 1996 37,614 2,977
September-December 1996 (provisional) 56,205 3,738

(1) This table includes the offences of 'unauthorised use of a controlled drug', 'refusing to provide a drug test sample' and 'falsifying a drug test sample'.

(2) The 'unauthorised use of a controlled drug' offence is not exclusively provable by testing, as discovery of the physical act of drug use might also lead to the offence being proven. We are unable to distinguish between those offences discovered by testing and by other means.

(3) The offence of unauthorised use of a controlled drug was introduced in February 1995. Mandatory drug testing began in eight establishments at that time, and was extended to the rest of the estate between September 1995 and March 1996.

(4) Offences are grouped by the date of adjudication rather than the date of testing/discovery.

(5) A survey in 1994 indicated that about 17 per cent. of punishments of additional days are later remitted.

Mr. Howarth

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to commission independent research relating to the introduction of mandatory drugs testing in all prisons. [12210]

Miss Widdecombe

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 A. J. Pearson to Mr. George Howarth, dated 29 January 1997:

The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your recent Question about plans to commission independent research relating to the introduction of mandatory drug testing in all prisons.

Two separate research projects have already been commissioned. The first project commenced in July 1996 and is being carried out by the University of Oxford Centre for Criminological Research. The study is qualitative in nature and focuses on five establishments and its purpose is to assess the impact of mandatory drug testing on the level and nature of drug misuse in prisons. The final report of this research is expected to be provided to the Prison Service before the end of April.

The second project was commissioned in December 1996 and is being carried out by the National Addiction Centre. The study will use data available for all prisons and its purpose is to provide an evaluation of the impact of the mandatory drug testing programme on substance misuse in prison. The time frame for a report has yet to be finally determined.

The final report of this research is expected to be provided to the Prison Service before the end of April 1998.

Mr. Howarth

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if she will list(a) the number of prisoners (i) randomly tested for drugs, (ii) tested for drugs on suspicion, (iii) tested for drugs while on risk assessment, (iv) tested for drugs while on frequent testing, (v) tested for drugs on reception and (vi) voluntarily tested for drugs in each month prior to March 1996 and (b) the number of these prisoners who have tested positive for each type of drug for each of the above categories; [12420]

(2) if he will list the number of multiple drug positives from a single sample for the categories (a) randomly tested for drugs, (b) tested for drugs on suspicion, (c) tested for drugs while on risk assessment, (d) tested for drugs while on frequent testing, (e) tested for drugs on reception and (f) voluntarily tested for drugs since mandatory drug testing began; [12381]

(3) if she will list (a) the number of prisoners (i) randomly tested for drugs, (ii) tested for drugs on suspicion, (iii) tested for drugs while on risk assessment, (iv) tested for drugs while on frequent testing, (v) tested for drugs on reception and (vi) voluntarily tested for drugs in each month since September 1996 in each prison and (b) the number of these prisoners who have tested positive for each type of drug for each of the above categories. [12421]

Miss Widdecombe

I will write to the hon. Member.