HL Deb 24 September 2002 vol 638 cc254-5WA
Lord Laird

asked Her Majesty's Government:

On how many occasions drugs have been found in HM prisons in Northern Ireland during each year since 1995. [HL5126]

Lord Williams of Mostyn

Information on drugs finds in prisons in Northern Ireland have been recorded in different ways since 1997. Since September 2000, the information has been collated centrally and this continues to be the case.

Available information is as follows:

Northern Ireland Prison Service Drug Finds 1997–98
Drug Type Weight/Quantity of Substance
Cannabis 1,176 grammes of resin
Ecstasy 121 tabs
Other tablets (inc medication not prescribed) 981 tablets
Other 1 square LSD, 2 bottles anabolic steroids.

For the period 1997–98 drugs finds were recorded in respect of quantity of substance found instead of occasions.

NIPS Drug Finds April 1998–August 2000
April 1998–March 1999 (inclusive) 195
April 1999–March 2000 (inclusive) 182
April 2000–August 2000 (inclusive) 64

NIPS Drug Finds since September 2000–May 2002
September 2000–November 2000 (inclusive) 45
December 2000–February 2001 (inclusive) 51
March 2001–May 2001 (inclusive) 82
June 2001–August 2001 (inclusive) 84
Total finds for 12 month period 262
September 2001–November 2001 97
December 2001–February 2002 66
March 2002–May 2002 73
Total finds for last 9 months 236

These figures report the number of drugs finds, not the amount of drugs found.