Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prisons have a working and operational backscatter x-ray body scanner.

We are taking urgent and decisive action to stop contraband, such as drugs and mobile telephones, from entering our prisons. These items pose a significant threat to safety and security.

X-ray body scanners allow prison staff to detect items hidden inside prisoners’ bodies.

As part of the Government’s £70 million investment in safety, security and decency, we are installing x-ray body scanners in a number of additional prisons, including the 10 Prisons Project and the long-term and high security estate. These are some of our most challenging prisons and are more likely to face attempts by prisoners to hide contraband inside their bodies in light of other security measures already in place. To date, x-ray scanners have been installed in 25 prisons.