To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many (a) male and (b) female prisoners entered prison needing treatment for drug addiction in each year since 1997. (235953)

The information requested is not recorded centrally by the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) and could be obtained only by surveying 138 establishments, which could be done only at disproportionate cost. Drug treatment need is determined on a local basis. NOMS relies on epidemiological surveys to make central estimates of treatment need. These surveys suggest that on average 55 per cent. of prison entrants have a serious drug problem.