Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask Her Majesty's Government how many drone drops outside prisons have been intercepted by the authorities in the last two years.

Last year we launched Operation Trenton, a specialist team of Police and Prison Service investigators, to work together to intercept drones and track down the criminals behind them.

Publishing all data on drone activity could undermine safety and security within our prisons, and compromise ongoing investigations into drone incidents. The specialist squad has, however, recovered or seized more than 150 drones from 2015 up until 1 September 2017 across the prison estate in England and Wales.

We have also achieved 28 convictions and combined sentences of more than 82 years for those involved in drone use against prisons. That includes 11 gang members convicted only last month to a total of 32 years between them for using drones to smuggle drugs, phones and weapons into prisons.