Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 6 December 2016, Official Report, column 97, what progress has been made on using patrol dogs to reduce the frequency of drones bringing contraband items on to the prison estate in England and Wales; and if she will make a statement.

We remain vigilant to all incidents involving drones and take the threat they pose to prison security very seriously. A range of methods to counter the threat posed by drones are being trialled and evaluated for their effectiveness across the prison estate. This includes the use of technology to detect and block drones, the enhancement of physical security and working with drone manufacturers.