Written question asked by Chris Pond (Labour) on Tuesday, 27 February 2001, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 28 February 2001. It was answered by Lord Boateng (Labour) on Wednesday, 28 February 2001 on behalf of the Home Office.

Home Office

Question: Statement on what changes he plans to make to the random mandatory drug testing programme for immigration detainees.

Answer: Mr. Pond: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what changes he plans to make to the random mandatory drug-testing programme for immigration detainees. [151893] Mr. Boateng: Immigration detainees rarely test positive for drugs. As a result from 1 April 2001 detainees held at Her Majesty's Prison Haslar and within discrete units at Her Majesty's Prisons Lindholme and Rochester will no longer be subject to the random mandatory drug-testing programme. Other security measures to prevent the smuggling and misuse of drugs will remain unchanged. These new arrangements will not apply to detainees dispersed more widely across the prison estate and who therefore have regular contact with prisoners. The policy will be reviewed at three and six-month intervals to ensure that the low level of drug abuse in these establishments continues.

Secondary information

Type: Written question
Reference: 151893; 363 c708W
Session: 2000-01
Subjects: Asylum Detainees Drugs Migrants Refugees Testing Lindholme Immigration Removal Centre HMP Haslar HMP Rochester
Link: View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk