Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many unauthorised mobile telephones and sim cards were detected in prisons in each year since 2010.

It is a criminal offence to possess a mobile phone or component part in a prison. The National Offender Management Service collates information on all confiscated mobile phones and SIM cards, which are sent to a central unit for interrogation. Data on confiscated phones has been collated since April 2010.

We already use a range of devices, including signal detectors and body scanners to detect mobile phones, as well as blocking technology to disrupt mobile phone signals. The Chancellor announced in the spending review that we will invest in more safety improvements to stamp out the organisation of crime from within prisons, including funding for tackling illicit mobile phones and investing in body scanners.

In addition, in March 2015 Royal Assent was granted for the Serious Crime Act, which allows NOMS to apply for a court order to compel Communication Service Providers to disconnect illicit mobile phones and SIM cards being used in a prison. This new legislation gives NOMS greater capability to reduce the number of phones in prisons. It is envisaged that the legislation will be implemented by the end of the year.

The table below provides the number of ‘finds’ for each calendar year up to 2014. One ‘find’ could constitute a phone only, a SIM card only, or a mobile phone with one SIM card or media card inside.

All figures in this answer have been drawn from live administrative data systems which may be amended at any time. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system. The data are not subject to audit.