To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people have been (a) prosecuted and (b) convicted for smuggling or attempting to smuggle (i) mobile telephones, (ii) drugs and (iii) other contraband into prisons in each year since 1997. (294215)

The Prison Act, as amended by the Offender Management Act, defines the criminal offence and penalties for smuggling contraband such as mobile phones, drugs and weapons into prisons. The Offender Management Act strengthened the penalties for smuggling contraband, and made it a specific offence with a penalty of up to two years' imprisonment to bring a mobile phone or component part into a prison.

To provide the information requested would require contact with all Prison Service establishments, requesting a check of their local records. This would incur disproportionate cost.