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24 Feb 2003 : Column 109W—continued

Prisons (Drugs)

Mr. Norman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to his answers of 28 January 2003, Official Report, columns 757–59W, what assessment he has made of (a) the adequacy of closed circuit television provision in visits areas of prisons and (b) their success in obstructing smuggling of drugs into prisons by visitors. [97995]

Hilary Benn: No specific research has been conducted by the Prison Service on the effectiveness of closed circuit television (CCTV). A CCTV good practice guide, drawing on the wider experience within the criminal justice system, has however been issued to prisons, against which individual establishments must review their procedures.

Mr. Norman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to his answers of 28 January 2003, Official Report, columns 757–59W, what importance he attaches to each of the routes he has identified by which drugs enter prisons. [97996]

Hilary Benn: Drug smuggling is by nature a covert activity. It is extremely difficult to quantify the frequency with which different routes are used. Routes vary depending on the nature of the individuals or prisons concerned. The Prison Service, however, believes that one of the most frequent routes is through social visits.

Mr. Norman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to his answers of 28 January 2003, Official Report, columns 757–59W, which measures to reduce the availability of drugs in prisons aim to disrupt attempts to smuggle drugs in by mail. [97997]

Hilary Benn: It would not be appropriate to disclose all the precise security measures in place to disrupt attempts to smuggle drugs. All social mail is opened and searched before being sent to the prisoner. X-ray machines and active drug dogs may be used in support of that process.

Mr. Norman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to his answers of 28 January 003, Official Report, column 757–59W, by what means he will assess the effectiveness of measures to reduce the availability of drugs in prisons. [97998]

Hilary Benn: Random mandatory drug testing (MDT) provides the best available measure of the effectiveness of policies to reduce the availability of drugs in prisons. Since the introduction of MDT the figure has reduced from 24.4 per cent. in 1996–97 to 11.6 per cent. in 2001–02. A wide-ranging programme of research is also under way to assess the effectiveness of supply reduction measures.

Mr. Norman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to his answers of 28 January 2003, Official Report, column 757–59W, how many attempts have been made to smuggle drugs into prisons by means of perimeter breach in the last year for which figures are available. [97999]

Hilary Benn: Any attempts to smuggle drugs into prisons are, by nature, covert activities which are extremely difficult to quantify. No such records are

24 Feb 2003 : Column 110W

kept. Prisons take into account the geography of each site and adopt appropriate security measures to minimise the risk of smuggling via this route.

Mr. Djanogly: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of prison inmates in Britain are using drugs on a regular basis. [97595]

Hilary Benn [holding answer 12 February 2003]: The random mandatory drug testing (MDT) programme represents the best available measure of overall drug misuse in prisons in England and Wales. The percentage figure for prisoners who tested positive in 2001–02 was 11.6 per cent.

Prison Statistics

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners over the age of 65 are (a) serving life sentences and (b) have special medical needs; and if he will make a statement. [97494]

Hilary Benn: The number of prisoners serving life sentences over the age of 65 on 30 November 2002 was 121.

A study of 203 sentenced male prisoners aged 60 and over in 15 establishments in England and Wales (about one-fifth of that total population) conducted in 1999–2000 reported that 85 per cent. had one or more major illnesses reported in their medical records and 83 per cent. reported at least one chronic illness or disability when interviewed. The most common illnesses were psychiatric, cardiovascular, musculoskeletal and respiratory. All prisons and their local national health service partners have completed joint prison health needs assessments, leading to the implementation of improvements to healthcare provision based on individual prison health plans.

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list those prisons which cater for young offenders; and how many (a) young offenders and (b) other prisoners are held in each prison. [97038]

Hilary Benn: The information requested is shown in the table. The term young offenders has been taken to refer to any prisoner aged under 21 years of age held in an establishment, whether or not they have been convicted of an offence.

All prison service establishments holding young offenders
(i.e. those aged under 21 years of age)

EstablishmentNumber of young offendersNumber of adultsTotal population
Altcourse78882960
Ashfield2280228
Askham Grange5118123
Aylesbury3460346
Belmarsh54832886
Birmingham2892894
Blakenhurst8862870
Brinsford4660466
Bristol22584606
Brixton1794795
Brockhill51106157
Bullingdon3856859
Bullwood Hall13032162
Cardiff1635636
Castington3080308
Chelmsford174368542
Cookham Wood1798115
Deerbolt4270427
Doncaster3037781,081
Dorchester24182206
Dover26168194
Drake Hall36199235
East Sutton Park37477
Eastwood Park56223279
Elmley57906963
Exeter55424479
Feltham6340634
Forest Bank246723969
Glen Parva7130713
Gloucester24290314
Guys Marsh125409534
Haslar2120122
Highdown96627723
Highpoint5828833
Hindley4980498
Holloway54430484
Holme House36908944
Hull143824967
Huntercombe3410341
Lancaster Farms4560456
Leeds11,1981,199
Lewes20459479
Lindholme6712718
Liverpool21,3861,388
Low Newton77150227
Manchester11,2491,250
Moorland476469945
New Hall106202308
Northallerton1370137
Norwich165519684
Onley5130513
Parc453510963
Portland4360436
Reading2500250
Rochester1570157
Shrewsbury1278279
Stoke Heath6140614
Styal52329381
Swinfen Hall3130313
Thorn Cross1770177
Wandsworth21,4261,428
Warren Hill209182391
Werrington1180118
Wetherby3210321
Winchester1577578
Woodhill101649750
Total10,96325,46736,430

24 Feb 2003 : Column 112W

Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average weekly number of offenders was (a) entering the prison system and (b) released from the prison system in each year since 1995. [98139]

Hilary Benn: The information is given in the following table:

The average weekly number of prisoners initially received and discharged

YearReceptionsDischarges
19952,4201,600
19962,3201,500
19972,4101,500
19982,5401,700
19992,6001,800
20002,5001,800
20012,7201,700
20022,8201,700

Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the (a) total prison population and (b) number of people convicted of a criminal offence were in (i) 1980, (ii) 1985, (iii) 1990, (iv) 1995 and (v) 2000. [98140]

Hilary Benn: The information is given in the table:

19801985199019952000
Population in custody(22)43,10946,27845,63650,96264,602
Number of people convicted for a criminal offence2,182,6351,878,2871,493,9361,343,2271,413,449

(22) Average population in custody including fine defaulters.


Mr. Stinchcombe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) fathers and (b) mothers are in prison who are aged (i) under 18, (ii) 18 to 21, (iii) 21 to 31, and (iv) 31 to 41. [97268]

Hilary Benn: There is no routinely collected data on the number and age of fathers and mothers in prison. However, a Home Office study of a large sample of imprisoned women and mothers, published in 1997, found that 60 per cent. of female prisoners, sentenced and unsentenced, had dependent children under the age of 18. Another smaller but more recent study of women prisoners and their work in custody, published in 2000, found broadly similar results (out of a sample of 567 sentenced women, 66 per cent. had dependent children under the age of 18).

Directly equivalent information for male prisoners is not available. However, the 1991 England and Wales prison survey showed that 32 per cent. of male prisoners had dependent children who had been living with them just before they were imprisoned; the corresponding figure for female prisoners was 47 per cent.

Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the (a) capacity and (b) occupancy is of each prison. [96770]

Hilary Benn: The information requested is shown in the following table. The table shows the population and operational capacity of all establishments in England and Wales. Operational capacity is the total number of prisoners that an establishment can hold taking into account control, security and the proper operation of the planned regime.

24 Feb 2003 : Column 113W

Population and operational capacity at all Prison Service establishments in England and Wales, as at 31 January 2003

EstablishmentOperational capacityPopulation
Acklington802791
Albany446435
Altcourse1,010982
Ashfield400214
Ashwell536534
Askham Grange141131
Aylesbury352342
Bedford464458
Belmarsh869880
Birmingham930938
Blakenhurst880869
Blantyre House122116
Blundeston464450
Brinsford493452
Bristol606607
Brixton798795
Brockhill167146
Blundeston464450
Buckley Hall320299
Bullingdon963893
Bullwood Hall184165
Camp Hill545538
Canterbury304302
Cardiff671658
Castington410281
Channings Wood627614
Chelmsford576579
Coldingley390385
Cookham Wood115112
Dartmoor625613
Deerbolt479397
Doncaster1,1201,112
Dorchester263225
Dovegate860736
Dover316263
Downview228214
Drake Hall315245
Durham736700
East Sutton Park10088
Eastwood Park326248
Elmley985990
Erlestoke386383
Everthorpe378371
Exeter533502
Featherstone615610
Feltham713641
Ford541426
Forest Bank1,0401,017
Foston Hall235228
Frankland652652
Full Sutton607601
Garth667648
Gartree276281
Glen Parva808742
Gloucester330302
Grendon231218
Guys Marsh570553
Haslar160142
Haverigg564499
Hewell Grange178174
Highdown734713
Highpoint North231201
Highpoint South670649
Hindley557497
Hollesley Bay329199
Holloway483453
Holme House995946
Hull1,0311,009
Huntercombe368333
Kingston197186
Kirkham561398
Kirklevington183179
Lancaster244243
Lancaster Farms526461
Latchmere House196190
Leeds1,2541,240
Leicester371351
Lewes530504
Leyhill512360
Lincoln365365
Lindholme761740
Littlehey666651
Liverpool1,5041,392
Long Lartin441426
Low Newton296253
Lowdham Grange524508
Maidstone548535
Manchester1,2811,253
Moorland1,039944
Morton Hall356292
Mount760748
New Hall386332
North Sea Camp307264
Northallerton254160
Norwich772725
Nottingham550549
Onley580536
Pare1 ,028986
Parkhurst527502
Pentonville1,2051,253
Portland456426
Prescoed13083
Preston664652
Ranby778716
Reading289248
Risley1,053974
Rochester180172
Rye Hill664646
Send220208
Shepton Mallet189191
Shrewsbury350310
Spring Hill296270
Stafford640627
Standford Hill464360
Stocken582579
Stoke Heath688603
Styal463427
Sudbury519488
Swaleside777756
Swansea368338
Swinfen Hall320316
Thorn Cross316176
Usk242224
Verne587572
Wakefield581566
Wandsworth1,4611,462
Warren Hill220196
Wayland666662
Wealstun712564
Weare400362
Wellingborough526523
Werrington148111
Wetherby360331
Whatton320318
Whitemoor472402
Winchester637606
Wolds350316
Woodhill773764
Wormwood Scrubs1,2291,242
Wymott822809
Total75,45670,909

24 Feb 2003 : Column 114W

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisons in England and Wales have been equipped with stair lifts to help elderly infirm people. [96019]

24 Feb 2003 : Column 115W

Hilary Benn: Prison Service establishments install stair lifts as operational needs dictate. Such installations are funded locally. This information is not therefore held centrally and could be collected at disproportionate cost.

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many pregnant women are held in prisons in (a) England and (b) Wales. [96851]

Hilary Benn: Statistics on the number of pregnant women held in prisons in England and Wales are not collected routinely. However, a one-off survey was conducted on 13 November 2002 and has recently been collated. At that time, there were 75 pregnant women held within the female prison estate.


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