Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many mobile phones confiscated in each prison have been analysed for information contained in them for each year since 2010.

The number of mobile phones (including SIM cards) seized in prisons that are analysed for information each year is as follows

2010 – No data available

2011 – 10643

2012 – 9541

2013 – 6505

2014 – 12612

2015 – 9877

2016 – 10269

2017 – 4484*

*Fewer examinations took place in 2017 due to the creation of a new examination facility in HMPPS. During this time particularly high-interest phones were prioritised for examination. Therefore, we can expect the number to rise again in 2018.