§ Mr. DjanoglyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of prison inmates in Britain have access to drugs rehabilitation programmes. [97594]
§ Hilary Benn[holding answer 12 February 2003]: The Prison Service does not keep records of the percentage of drug-misusing prisoners in England and Wales that have access to rehabilitation programmes. However, based on research conducted by the Office for National Statistics, the Service estimates that 18,000 prisoners each year would benefit potentially from participation in a rehabilitation programme. The length of treatment courses serves to restrict access to those sentenced to two years or more.
The Service is committed annually to delivering 5,700 places on rehabilitation programmes or therapeutic communities by March 2004. The Service is, therefore, currently resourced only to meet approximately 30 per cent. of the potential rehabilitation needs of drug-misusing prisoners.
As my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister explained on 4 December 2002 in his response to the hon. Member for Mid-Worcestershire (Mr. Luff), Official Report, column 906, the Government are committed significantly to extending drug treatment programmes both within prison and in the community.