Asked by: James Wild (Conservative - North West Norfolk)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps have been taken at HMP Garth to help prevent drones bringing drugs into the prison.
Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip
His Majesty's Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) is working hard to deter, detect and disrupt the use of drones that deliver contraband into prisons.
Owing to operational sensitives, we are not able to discuss the measures used by HMP Garth to disrupt drones, as that would aid serious and organised criminals. However, HMPPS uses a multi-faceted approach to tackle this threat which includes a variety of physical security countermeasures, intelligence led operations and legislation. As part of this work, we conduct drone vulnerability assessments to understand and mitigate risk and we are investing £40 million in new security measures to clamp down on the contraband that fuels violence behind bars, including £10 million on anti-drone measures such as exterior netting and reinforced windows.
HMPPS is also working with UK and global partners to understand the tactics used abroad and identify opportunities to strengthen our response to illicit drone activity.
Asked by: Lord Kempsell (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to increase mandatory random drug testing in prisons in England and Wales, and to expand the range of drugs tested for.
Answered by Lord Timpson - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The Government is committed to tackling drug use in prisons, which threatens prison safety and security, undermines our work to rehabilitate prisoners and drives reoffending. We therefore need to have a multi-pronged approach that tackles the supply of drugs, drives down demand and supports recovery – drug testing plays an important role in delivering this.
Random mandatory drug testing (rMDT) forms one part of our wider approach to tackling drug use in prisons. In custody, we also conduct more targeted testing, such as suspicion-based testing, when staff have reason to believe an individual has used drugs illicitly, as well as voluntary testing, which forms part of our approach on our Incentivised Substance Free Living Units, where prisoners sign a compact to remain drug free, receive access to improved conditions compared to a standard wing and are regularly tested. In probation settings, we are expanding our drug testing powers through the Sentencing Bill, meaning that any offender on licence can be tested.
We test for a wide range of substances and keep this under regular review to ensure we identify emerging trends to keep both staff and prisoners safe. Our new drug testing contract supports this by giving us greater flexibility to identify areas for improvement in our drug testing capabilities, ensuring we can keep pace with changing patterns of drug use and target support where it is most needed.
In recent years, levels of rMDT have fallen short across the estate because of staffing constraints, and as a result, volumes have not been sufficient nor consistently high enough to produce publishable data – though results are still used as part of adjudication proceedings. There has been some encouraging progress made in recent months to increase levels, and we will continue to keep performance under close review.
Asked by: Lord Kempsell (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many prison risk drone assessments have been carried out to date; where those assessments have taken place; and what assessment they have made of the results of that work, and the impact of those assessments on disrupting the influx of drugs into prisons.
Answered by Lord Timpson - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
We are working hard to deter, detect and disrupt the use of illegal drones that deliver contraband, in order to create a safe and stable rehabilitative environment in our prisons. Our approach is multi-faceted and includes legislative measures and physical security countermeasures, as well as work across Government and with international partners.
As part of this work, we conduct drone vulnerability assessments across the prison estate to understand and mitigate risk. For operational security reasons, we cannot disclose further details surrounding these assessments.
Asked by: Lord Kempsell (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many prisons have operational enhanced gate security funded by the Security Investment Programme, and whether they will publish the names of those prisons.
Answered by Lord Timpson - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The Department is committed to taking every possible measure to strengthen prison security.
The Security Investment Programme was a £100 million investment to strengthen prison security. It was aimed at reducing crime in prisons, including the smuggling of illicit items such as drugs and other contraband.
Airport-style Enhanced Gate Security, comprising of metal detectors and X-ray baggage scanners, is used to search staff and visitors as they enter the prison. It is in use in 54 high-risk prison sites (both private and public sector), including all of the High Security prisons in the Long-Term High Security Estate. The Security Investment Programme funded Enhanced Gate Security to 42 of the total 54 high-risk prisons that have these physical countermeasures.
The following prisons have operational Enhanced Gate Security:
SIP Funded | Non-SIP Funded | ||
Altcourse | Exeter | Northumberland | Belmarsh |
Aylesbury | Featherstone | Norwich | Fosse Way |
Bedford | Forest Bank | Nottingham | Five Wells |
Berwyn | Garth | Onley | Frankland |
Birmingham | Gartree | Peterborough | Full Sutton |
Brinsford | Hewell | Ranby | Long Lartin |
Bristol | High Down | Risley | Lowdham Grange |
Brixton | Humber | Rochester | Manchester |
Bullingdon | Lancaster Farms | Swaleside | Millsike |
Cardiff | Leeds | Swansea | Wakefield |
Chelmsford | Leicester | The Mount | Whitemoor |
Durham | Lewes | Wandsworth | Woodhill |
Elmley | Lincoln | Winchester |
|
Erlestoke | Liverpool | Wormwood Scrubs |
|
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what progress he has made in improving the effectiveness of body scanners in monitoring the flow of (a) drugs, (b) weapons and (c) other contraband into prisons.
Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip
The Ministry of Justice is committed to taking every possible measure to strengthen prison security. Every prison in the closed adult male estate is equipped with a body scanner. They are used to prevent illicit drugs, mobile phones and other contraband from entering prisons.
As of March 2024, over 53,000 positive indications had been recorded by our X-ray body scanners. This demonstrates the clear impact they are having.
A full evaluation of the Security Investment Programme was undertaken. The findings of the evaluation have been published and can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/security-investment-programme-evaluation.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of automatically transferring prisoners in open prisons who fail drugs tests to Category C prisons.
Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip
Prisoners held in open conditions can be re-categorised to higher security conditions at any time if their risk increases, if there is a material change in circumstances that impacts security risk, or information (including existing information not considered before) is identified that indicates that the prisoner cannot safely be managed in the current security conditions. The purpose of categorisation is to ensure that those sentenced to custody are assigned the lowest security category appropriate to managing their risk.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what proportion of prisoners failed drugs tests upon arrival in the last 12 months.
Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip
The information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
Data on the total number of random mandatory drug tests carried out is published as part of the HMPPS Annual Digest. The most recently released version confirms that in the 12 months to March 2025, there were 53,341 random mandatory drug tests, however, the data is currently not sufficient to robustly estimate the percentage positive. The Digest can be accessed via the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/hmpps-annual-digest-april-2024-to-march-2025.
Statistics regarding needs, rather than use, are included in the 'Identified offender needs, custody and community, 31 October 2024'. This shows the level of drug misuse need amongst the prison population. It can be accessed via the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/identified-offender-needs-custody-and-community-31-october-2024/identified-needs-of-offenders-custody-and-community-31-october-2024.
We conduct targeted drug testing in custody to help keep people safe and identify individuals who may benefit from a treatment referral, or inform disciplinary action.
To drive down demand for drugs and support recovery, there are also 85 prisons with Incentivised Substance Free Living Units. These provide a dedicated, supportive environment for any prisoner who wants to live drug-free in prison. To bring together this rehabilitative and security focused approach to tackling drug use, 54 Drug Strategy Leads in key prisons are working to ensure that local drug strategies are effectively implemented.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prisoners failed drugs tests in each of the last 12 months.
Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip
The information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
Data on the total number of random mandatory drug tests carried out is published as part of the HMPPS Annual Digest. The most recently released version confirms that in the 12 months to March 2025, there were 53,341 random mandatory drug tests, however, the data is currently not sufficient to robustly estimate the percentage positive. The Digest can be accessed via the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/hmpps-annual-digest-april-2024-to-march-2025.
Statistics regarding needs, rather than use, are included in the 'Identified offender needs, custody and community, 31 October 2024'. This shows the level of drug misuse need amongst the prison population. It can be accessed via the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/identified-offender-needs-custody-and-community-31-october-2024/identified-needs-of-offenders-custody-and-community-31-october-2024.
We conduct targeted drug testing in custody to help keep people safe and identify individuals who may benefit from a treatment referral, or inform disciplinary action.
To drive down demand for drugs and support recovery, there are also 85 prisons with Incentivised Substance Free Living Units. These provide a dedicated, supportive environment for any prisoner who wants to live drug-free in prison. To bring together this rehabilitative and security focused approach to tackling drug use, 54 Drug Strategy Leads in key prisons are working to ensure that local drug strategies are effectively implemented.
Asked by: Matt Vickers (Conservative - Stockton West)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of prison safety in Category (a) B and (b) C prisons.
Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
Safety in prisons is a key priority, and we are working hard to make prisons as safe as possible for staff and prisoners.
We have specialist staff and equipment to stop the smuggling of contraband in prisons, such as drugs, weapons and mobile phones, which can fuel violence and create instability.
Prisons face a range of factors which impact on their safety, and these often vary between types of prisons, which is why it is important that all prisons have local safety strategies that address the local drivers of safety, whilst operating within the approach set out in the national Prison Safety Policy Framework.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps she is taking to tackle smuggling in prisons.
Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Vice Chamberlain (HM Household) (Whip, House of Commons)
Prisons in England and Wales have a range of specialist staff and equipment to tackle the smuggling of drugs, mobile phones, weapons and other contraband into prisons. This includes X-ray body scanners, airport-style Enhanced Gate Security, X-ray baggage scanners, detection dogs, and other specialist equipment to alert staff to the potential presence of drugs on a range of items and materials.
We are also working hard to deter, detect and disrupt drones being used to smuggle contraband into prisons. Our approach is multi-faceted and includes physical security countermeasures, exploring additional legislation and working across Government and with international partners on this global issue.
We are investing over £40 million in physical security across 34 prisons in this financial year. This includes around £10 million on anti-drone measures such as secure windows and improved netting at 15 prisons.