Between April 2018 and March 2023, there were 25,323 positive rMDT tests for both traditional drugs and psychoactive substances. Data for April to December 2023 will be published as part of the 2023-24 Annual Digest.<\/p>
No new Official Statistics on rMDT positivity have been published since the year to March 2020, because since the start of the COVID pandemic testing levels and the number of prisons with sufficient testing have been too low to provide robust data.<\/p>
The range of drugs tested in the rMDT panel is subject to change in response to new emerging drug types and new patterns of drug use. This is necessary to ensure our testing approach is targeting the right substances. These limitations mean no robust rate of positive tests can be calculated from the above data and this number of positive tests should not be compared to the number of tests.<\/p>
Care is taken when processing and analysing returns, but the detail is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large-scale recording system. Although shown to the last case, the figures may not be accurate to that level.<\/em><\/p> This does not include tests that were spoilt or lost in transit on the way to the laboratory.<\/em><\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4362", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Edward Argar"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Charnwood"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Edward Argar"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2024-01-23", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2024-01-23T08:43:15.487Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "54"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Justice"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Justice"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2024-01-17", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Prisons: Drugs"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 8 January 2024 to Question 7583 on Prisons: Drugs, how many random mandatory drug tests carried out between 2018 and 2023 were positive.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4389", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Ruth Cadbury"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Brentford and Isleworth"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Ruth Cadbury"}
], "uin" : "10147"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1329828", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Treasury"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1329828/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " HM Treasury and the Department for Digital, Media, Culture and Sport have worked extensively with industry stakeholders to estimate the potential impact of expanding the Dormant Assets Scheme. According to industry estimates, this expansion could result in a further £1.7bn of dormant assets being transferred into the Scheme. After a portion is reserved for any future reclaims, the Government estimates £880m will be available for distribution to initiatives across the UK. The Government\u2019s consultation response<\/a>, \u201cGovernment response to the consultation on expanding the Dormant Assets Scheme\u201d has further detail on the impact of Scheme expansion.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4051", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for John Glen"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Salisbury"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "John Glen"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2021-06-10", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2021-06-10T09:05:59.097Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "14"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Treasury"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Treasury"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2021-06-04", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Dormant Assets Scheme"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimates his Department has made of the revenue impact of expanding the scope of dormant assets scheme in the Dormant Assets Bill.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/178", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for John McDonnell"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Hayes and Harlington"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "John McDonnell"}
], "uin" : "10147"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/759857", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/759857/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " Part 3 of the Scottish Partnerships (Register of People with Significant Control) Regulations 2017 requires the registration of Scottish qualifying partnerships. This applies only to general partnerships constituted under the law of Scotland. A Scottish Limited Partnership is not required to submit this information.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4115", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Margot James"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Stourbridge"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Margot James"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2017-10-09", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2017-10-09T13:47:28.347Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "201"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2017-09-12", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Scottish Limited Partnerships"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many qualifying Scottish limited partnerships registered before 24 July 2017 have submitted the additional registration information required in Part 3 of the Scottish Partnerships (Register of People with Significant Control) Regulations 2017.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4430", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Alison Thewliss"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Glasgow Central"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Alison Thewliss"}
], "uin" : "10147"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/418659", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Work and Pensions"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/418659/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " The Government set out its assessment of the impacts of the policies in the Welfare Reform and Work Bill on 20th July. A link to the impact assessment is included.<\/p>