Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Prison Estate: Safety

Tuesday 3 February 2026 · 3 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 1 Partly answered 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Prisons face a high rate of drug use among inmates, exceeding 40% in some areas upon arrival.
  • The Government is examining measures to reduce drug use, including investments in X-ray machines and additional prison officers.
  • The Justice Secretary announced a 6 million funding package for research on counter-drone technology in collaboration with Ukrainian partners.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Andrew Snowden Con Fylde
Justice & Courts
Context

Drug abuse in open prisons is a persistent issue, with more than 40% of prisoners failing drug tests on arrival. The situation has been exacerbated by insufficient resourcing and layout differences.

Question

We know that drugs on the prison estate is a perennial problem when it comes to the safety of officers and other prisoners. In some places, we have more than 40% of prisoners failing drug tests on arrival in the open estate. Will the Secretary of State consider a policy that says, “If you fail a drug test on arrival, you will be sent straight back to the closed prison you came from”?

Answer from David Lammy (The Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice)

We are looking right across the estate at what more we can do to reduce drug use. We have invested particularly in X-ray machines and extra prison officers to try to bear down on the problem. I spoke to prison officers about it when I visited Frankland prison last week, and I am looking closely at how the lowest categories of prisons deal with drugs.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific policy request was not addressed directly.

How: Looking Across The Estate, Investing In X-Ray Machines

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Q2 Natalie Fleet Lab Bolsover
Justice & Courts
Context

The Government is working on changes to make it easier for victims of crime, especially women who have experienced sexual violence, to receive swift justice. There are concerns about whether the prison system has sufficient capacity.

Question

When we make these changes and make it easier for victims to get justice, how will the Government ensure that there is capacity in our prisons to take these criminals?

Answer from David Lammy (The Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice)

We must have capacity in our prisons to deal with the crisis that we inherited, which is why we introduced the Victims and Courts Bill and the Sentencing Act 2026. This legislation will enable us to bear down on the waiting list that is ticking upwards for victims of crime—especially women—who are often at the end of crime that makes them most vulnerable.

Answered
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Q3 Ben Obese-Jecty Con Huntingdon
Justice & Courts Ukraine
Context

The use of drones to bring contraband into prisons has increased by 43% last year, causing alarm in constituencies with prison facilities. The Justice Secretary announced a £6.5 million funding stream but no tenders are currently out.

Question

Can the Justice Secretary tell us what is the current counter-drone strategy for HM Prison and Probation Service, given the current delays in the installation of physical unmanned aircraft systems countermeasures, what specific projects are actually in flight to develop the counter-UAS capability across our prison estate, and by when that capability will be available?

Answer from David Lammy (The Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice)

This is a very serious issue, which is why I announced the partnership with our Ukrainian colleagues. I also announced £6 million of funding for that research innovation as part of the package. We are working closely on this matter to enhance security measures.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific timeline and project details were not provided.

How: Serious Issue, Partnership With Ukraine

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