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Prisons Illegal Drugs 2026-01-15
15 January 2026
Lead MP
Andy Slaughter
Debate Type
General Debate
Tags
Employment
Other Contributors: 8
At a Glance
Andy Slaughter raised concerns about prisons illegal drugs 2026-01-15 in the House of Commons. Other MPs contributed to the debate.
How the Debate Unfolded
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said:
Lead Contributor
Opened the debate
The Justice Committee is concerned by the growing level of drug use in prisons, leading to a human tragedy with over 136 drug-related deaths between December 2022 and December 2024. The committee's sixth report recommends mandatory drug testing, faster waste water testing rollouts, more drug-free wings, full body scanners, improved security measures against disrepair, enhanced screening of frontline staff, a lifelong vetting model for HMPPS staff, counter-drone systems, and better tracking of electronic financial transactions within prison walls. The committee is disappointed with the Government's limited response to these recommendations.
Solihull West and Shirley
Expressed deep disappointment about the Ministry of Justice's position on counter-drone activity, citing frequent episodes where drones bypass prison security.
Warinder Juss
Lab
Wolverhampton West
Noted that incentivised substance-free living units reduce violence and self-harm by 30%, questioning the Government's decision to consolidate these units instead of expanding them.
Bobby Dean
LD
Carshalton and Wallington
Asked about the demand for drugs in prisons, availability of rehabilitation services, and other forms of support for addicts within prison walls.
Jayne Kirkham
Lab/Co-op
Truro and Falmouth
Visited HMP Wandsworth, impressed by progress in staff retention and the new unit for prisoners with autism spectrum disorder, ADHD, and addiction issues. Raised concerns about lack of prison officers leading to difficulties in maintaining order on wings.
Jim Shannon
DUP
Strangford
Cited statistics from Northern Ireland indicating that 41% of prisoners found it easy to acquire illicit drugs and 28% developed drug problems while incarcerated. Emphasised the need for a UK-wide approach to combat growing drug use in prisons.
Lewis Atkinson
Lab
Sunderland Central
Asked about substance misuse treatment commissioning, expressing concern over transferring responsibilities to Integrated Care Boards and called for a joined-up drugs strategy across Government departments.
Chris Bloore
Lab
Redditch
Paid tribute to the Committee's report and asked about metrics to measure progress on meeting recommendations by the end of Parliament. Suggested setting benchmarks for monitoring progress.
Amber Valley
Welcomed Government’s positive response to recommendation 6 regarding purposeful activity and requested an update on progress by April 2026. Emphasised the benefits of purposeful activity in rehabilitating offenders and reducing drug use.
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Assessment & feedback
Summary accuracy
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