Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Richard Holden and Dominic Raab

Tuesday 14th December 2021 Commons Chamber

[Dominic Raab]

I just say to the hon. Gentleman that, as has already been pointed out, the backlog was lower before we went into the pandemic than that left behind by the last Labour Government. However, we are not for a moment complacent. That is why we have invested the money and we secured the money at the spending review, and it is why we have the Crown Nightingale courts and we have removed the limit on the number of days they can sit each year. I regularly consult the senior judiciary about what more we can do. Of course, technology—in particular the cloud video platform—can enable more than 13,000 cases to be heard virtually every week.

[Mr Richard Holden (North West Durham) (Con)]

T8. Large numbers of my North West Durham constituents work at HMP Frankland, HMP Low Newton, HMP Durham and the young offenders institution at Deerbolt. One issue that they face is prisoners on drugs and psychoactive substances assaulting members of staff. Will the Minister outline what measures the Government are taking to tackle this scourge?

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Richard Holden and Dominic Raab

Tuesday 9th November 2021 Commons Chamber

[Dr James Davies (Vale of Clwyd) (Con)]

10. What steps he is taking to reduce incidents of drug smuggling into prisons.

[The Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice (Dominic Raab)]

In the 12 months to March 2021, the number of incidents in which drugs were found in prisons decreased by 6% to 20,295.

[Mr Holden]

What steps have been taken to ensure that state-of-the-art X-ray body scanners have been installed throughout the male prison estate, and that we are harnessing the best available technology to help our prisons to become places of rehabilitation rather than addiction to drugs?

[Dominic Raab]

My hon. Friend is right to ask that question. Since 2019, the Government have invested more than £100 million in prison security. We have installed 74 X-ray body scanners, which has resulted in more than 10,000 positive scans. I recently visited HMP Highdown and saw the equipment in action. It has stopped 100 smuggling attempts in the last year alone, involving drugs, weapons and mobile phones, and it allows that prison to operate safely.