Oral Question·Ministry of Justice
“What assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of trends in the level of illegal drug use in prisons.”
Tabled: 5 March 2025Answered: 11 March 2025
Asked by
Dr Luke Evans
Conservative — Hinckley and Bosworth
Answering Minister
the Secretary of State for Justice
Answer from Hansard
The Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice (Shabana Mahmood)
This Government inherited prisons in crisis: overcrowded, violent and rife with drugs. If we are to have regimes that reduce reoffending and cut crime, we have to crack down on drugs in prison. To do so, we must address the supply of drugs, and prisons use a range of tactics, including X-ray body scanners and baggage scanners. We must also tackle demand. Over 80 of our prisons now have drug-free wings.