§ Lynne JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of mandatory drugs testing in prison in reducing the consumption of drugs other than cannabis; and if he will make a statement. [107658]
§ Hilary BennIt is difficult to determine the extent to which any one of a package of supply reduction measures alone has an impact on drug misuse in prisons. Overall, mandatory drug testing (MDT) figures show the greatest decline to be in the use of cannabis. A research study on the effectiveness of the MDT programme is being undertaken and the findings are due to be published in June 2003.