(2) what the (a) capital and (b) annual cost is of (i) training and (ii) operating passive drug detection dogs for use by the Prison Service;
(3) what the total cost to the Prison Service of the use of passive drug detection dogs has been.
On 30 January there were a total of 228 passive drug dogs in operation in prisons in England and Wales. The following table shows where they are deployed.
Passive drug dogs are used to assist in the searching for drugs in establishments in accordance with drug strategies set by area managers and governing governors.
Costs are not collated centrally and gathering this information would incur disproportionate costs. However, a Passive Drug Dog team (handler and dog) costs approx £40,000 per annum including training. A dog purchase is around £1,000. Based on an approximate running cost of £40,000 per year, the total cost of 228 dogs is just over £9 million per annum.
High Security Estate Number Belmarsh 3 Frankland 3 Full Sutton 3 Long Lartin 3 Manchester 3 Wakefield 3 Whitemoor 3 Woodhill 2 North East Area Acklington 2 Castington 2 Deerbolt 2 Durham 6 Holme House 2 Low Newton 3 North West Area Buckley Hall 2 Garth 2 Haverigg 2 Hindley 2 Kirkham 3 Lancaster 1 Liverpool 2 Preston 2 Risley 3 Styal 2 Thorn Cross 1 Wymott 3 Kennett 3 Yorkshire and Humberside Area Yorkshire Area Search Team 11 West Midlands Area Birmingham 3 Blakenhurst 7 Brinsford 2 Drake Hall 1 Featherstone 1 Shrewsbury 2 Stafford 2 Stoke Heath 2 Swinfen Hall 2 East Midlands Area Ashwell 1 Foston Hall 2 Gartree 2 Glen Parva 3 Leicester 2 Lincoln 2 Morton Hall 0 North Sea Camp 1 Nottingham 2 Onley 3 Ranby 3 Stocken 2 Sudbury 2 Wellingborough 2 Whatton 2 Eastern Area Bedford 2 Blundeston 2 Bullwood Hall 1 Chelmsford 3 Edmunds Hill 2 Highpoint 2 Hollesley Bay 1 Littlehey 2 The Mount 2 Norwich 3 Warren Hill 1 Wayland 3 South West Area Bristol 2 Channings Wood 2 Dartmoor 2 Dorchester 1 Eastwood Park 2 Erlestoke 1 Exeter 2 Gloucester 1 Guys Marsh 1 Leyhill 1 Portland 1 Shepton Mallet 1 The Verne 1 Wales Area Cardiff 0 Swansea 1 South Central Area Isle of Wight 5 Aylesbury 1 Bullingdon 2 Coldingley 2 Downview 1 Grendon 1 High Down 1 Huntercombe 0 Kingston 2 Reading 1 Send 0 Winchester 2 Kent and Sussex Area Elmley 1 Ford 1 Lewes 1 Maidstone 2 Rochester 1 Standford Hill 0 Swaleside 1 London Area Brixton 0 Feltham 2 Holloway 2 Pentonville 2 Wandsworth 2 Wormwood Scrubs 1 Private Prisons Altcourse 4 Ashfield 1 Bronzefield 1 Doncaster 2 Dovegate 2 Forest Bank 2 Lowdham Grange 2 Parc 2 Rye Hill 3 The Wolds 0 Peterborough 2 Total 228