Oral question asked in the House of Commons, by Michael Jack (Conservative). It was answered by Gerry Sutcliffe (Labour) on Monday, 19 March 2007 on behalf of the Home Office.

Prisons (Drug Use)

Question: What steps his Department is taking to reduce drug taking in prisons.

Answer: To tackle drug use in custody, the National Offender Management Service has in place a comprehensive drug strategy. The strategy's three key aims are to reduce the amount of illicit drugs getting in by using a co-ordinated range of supply-reduction measures; to reduce the demand for drugs through delivery of effective drug treatment; and to strengthen through-care links with the community, helping to ensure timely continuity of care for drug users on release. While NOMS remains committed to doing more, the drug strategy is already making significant progress, with drug use—as measured by random mandatory drug testing—down from 24.4 per cent. in 1996-97 to 10.3 per cent. in 2004-05, a reduction of 58 per cent.

Secondary information