Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many mandatory drug tests have taken place in prison in each month in the last five years.

The information requested is provided in the attached table.

In September 2016 we became the first prison service in the world to introduce innovative mandatory drug tests for psychoactive substances, a significant step in tackling the supply and use of them. We have recently formed a Drugs Taskforce working with law enforcement and health partners across government to reduce the prevalence of drugs in our prisons. The Drugs Taskforce has three overarching objectives; restricting supply, reducing demand and building recovery. The Taskforce is developing a national Drug Strategy and Operational Guidance, which will provide all prisons with strategic direction and examples of best practice to support them in tackling drugs.