§ 13. Dr. Stuttafordasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information he has as to the origin of the heroin at present obtainable on the black market in England and Wales.
§ Mr. LaneAccording to reports made to my right hon. Friend, most of the illicit heroin recently detected in the United Kingdom comes from Hong Kong.
§ Dr. StuttafordDoes my hon. Friend agree that there would be a danger to the community at large if a small, closely knit group of expatriates controlled this wholesale market? Does he further agree that recently the police have done extremely well in curtailing this trade, whatever the national origins of the people engaging in it?
§ Mr. LaneYes, I agree. So far this year 34 arrests for unlawful possession of Chinese heroin have been made by the Metropolitan Police. At the same time, we are looking at new ways of cooperating with the Hong Kong authorities at the other end.
§ Mr. Edwin WainwrightWill the hon. Gentleman tell the House the original source from which the heroin comes?
§ Mr. LaneThe original source is the opium poppy, but there are different ways in which heroin reaches the user.