§ Mr. Peter BottomleyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the implications of the Court of Appeal's decision on Wyner and Brock on(a) Ministers', (b) his Department's officials' and (c) prison governors' responsibility for policy and management of prisons. [145448]
§ Mr. Charles ClarkeRuth Wyner and John Brock, managers of the Wintercomfort day centre for the homeless in Cambridge, were convicted under section 8 of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 because they were judged to have failed to take reasonable steps to prevent drug dealing on the premises for which they were responsible. The Court of Appeal upheld the convictions. The Court of Appeal's decision confirms our understanding that section 8 applies to the owner or manager of any premises and has no new implications for Ministers or Home Office officials.
In relation to prison governors, the Government recognise that drug misuse and the supply of drugs is a problem in some prisons. A comprehensive range of measures has been implemented to tackle the supply of drugs in prisons and prison governors operate an effective strategy for preventing, as far as possible, the supply of drugs in prison establishments. I refer the hon. Member to the debate on this subject that he introduced on 29 February 2000, Official Report, columns 17–24WH.