§ Mr. CoxTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many inmates in prisons in England and Wales have a record of illegal drug taking. [82289]
§ Mr. George HowarthBetween 1 January 1998 and 31 December 1998, 88,304 mandatory drug tests were conducted on prisoners, of which 20,152 tested positive for drugs. The figures include some prisoners who will have been tested more than once. Implementation of the Prison Service drug strategy over the next three years will include provision of information about new prisoners' histories of drug misuse prior to arrival in prison.
§ Mr. CoxTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisons in England and Wales have drug treatment facilities; and how many prisoners were undertaking such treatment on 1 April. [82290]
§ Mr. George HowarthSystematic data about existing programmes and the number of participating prisoners is not yet collected centrally. The table gives the best available information about the current situation and the proposed outcome of implementation of the Prison Service's drug strategy.
Prison drug treatment and programmes Service provision Current situation After drug strategy implementation CARATs1 43 all establishments Detoxification2 10 35 Rehabilitation programmes 24 60 Therapeutic communities 4 8 Voluntary testing 46 all establishments 1Low threshold Counselling, Assessment, Referral, Advice and Throughcare service which will meet the needs of the great majority of prisoners 2Enhanced detoxification facilities in local prisons and remand centres