Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to allow HM Prison Service staff to shoot down drones near prisons.

We are working hard to deter, detect and disrupt the use of drones to deliver contraband into prisons. We conduct vulnerability assessments across the prison estate to identify risks, and to develop and implement plans to manage and mitigate them. His Majesty’s Prison & Probation Service (HMPPS) uses targeted countermeasures including improvements to windows, netting and grills to stop drones delivering contraband such as drugs, mobile telephones and weapons.

We work across Government to examine options to mitigate the threat of drones to prisons. We are also engaging with international counterparts to develop our learning, support our strategy and share best practice. Our response to drone threats is specific to the individual prison site, but owing to operational sensitivities, we are not able to discuss in detail the tactics used by HMPPS to disrupt drones.

The Air Traffic Management and Unmanned Aircraft Act 2021, which authorises the use of counter-drone technology, also enables the police to stop and search anyone suspected of committing drone-related offences.