To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners have escaped from open prisons in each of the last six months. (113607)

The information requested is set out in the following table and covers the period from 1 June to 30 November 2006. There have been 299 absconds from all open prisons, in England and Wales, during this period. Figures for 2006-07 are provisional and subject to validation.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the number of prisoners that take drugs; what percentage of the prison population this represents; what the corresponding estimated figures were for 1997 and 2002; and if he will make a statement. (114560)

The best measure of drug misuse in prisons is provided by the random mandatory drug testing programme. Results are given in the following table.