Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of the implementation of a smoking ban on narcotics use in prisons.

Guidance has been developed, in conjunction with Public Health England to provide information and practical advice to staff to assist with managing the potential risks associated with narcotics. There are strategies in place to reduce the supply of narcotics and detection of all psychotic substances (PS). This include the empowerment and training of staff to tackle PS use.

We have also taken swift action to stop the supply of drugs into all our prisons, equipping all prisons with portable and fixed detectors to tackle illicit use of phones in prisons. We are working with the police to catch and convict criminal using drones to smuggle contraband into prisons, and are testing physical and technological countermeasures to stop incursions.