Drug Abuse (Hansard, 25 May 1994)

§ 5. Mr. Watson
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he intends to respond to the Select Committee on Scottish Affairs' report on drug abuse in Scotland.

§ Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
We welcome the Select Committee's report, which brings a further valuable perspective to the problem of drug misuse in Scotland. Our response to the report will be published as soon as our careful consideration of its recommendations is complete.

§ Mr. Watson
The Minister will know that the Select Committee's report confirms the view already widely held in social work departments, drug projects and agencies, as well as by the parents of those who have died, that current reporting procedures seriously underestimate the number of drug-related deaths, not least in Glasgow, where fatal overdoses by drug injecters are now the largest single cause of death among young adults?
What assurances can the Minister give that, when he responds to the report, he will ensure that the Scottish Office improves the reporting procedures, especially those 322 governing the amount of information given on death certificates, so that accurate figures will be available on which to base future action?

§ Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
Obviously, that is one of the matters that we are considering in great detail, and a full response will be forthcoming when we give our response to the Select Committee report. Our own task force is studying all such matters in great depth and will report in the summer, having taken fully into account all the Select Committee's recommendations. Correct reporting is extremely important.

§ Mr. Gallie
In assessing the Select Committee's report, will my hon. Friend take account of the recommendation for harsher treatment of drug peddlers, especially bearing in mind the outrage caused in my constituency and adjacent constituencies by the derisory sentence—simply community service—received by a youth convicted of selling drugs to 13 and 14-year-olds?

§ Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
Obviously, we shall have to keep penalties carefully under review. Those who peddle drugs are in a much more serious position than those who are addicts, and the courts should treat them with according severity. We shall bear my hon. Friend's point in mind.

§ Mr. David Marshall
What does the Minister know about skunk? Will he give a guarantee that he will totally reject any proposal to legalise it?

§ Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
I did not hear the word that the hon. Gentleman used. Did he say scum?

§ Mr. David Marshall
Skunk.

§ Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
It is absolutely clear that we are totally against the decriminalisation of cannabis—[Laughter.] The material that the hon. Gentleman mentioned sounds to me as though it would come into an even worse category.

§ Mrs. Ray Michie
The Minister's answer to the hon. Member for Glasgow, Central (Mr. Watson) lacked a sense of urgency. Will he pay special attention to the Scottish Affairs Committee's recommendation that the Scottish Office establish a permanent national committee to lead and co-ordinate the many agencies now in place? Unless we get a grip on the problem, more and more of our youngsters will be caught up in drug abuse and drug-related crime.

§ Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
That is one of the issues that the task force is currently considering. It is considering such issues as a matter of urgency, and it will report in the summer. We are spending about £40 million a year—on health education, social work and various forms of treatment, for example, as well as on policing. So considerable public funds are already allocated to that important problem. However, we shall bear in mind the point that the hon. Lady raised.

§ Mr. Raymond S. Robertson
When my right hon. and hon. Friends respond to the Select Committee's report, will they pay particular attention to the section on education? Does my hon. Friend agree that education on drug abuse must start in the primary schools, because leaving it to secondary schools is leaving it too late?

§ Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
Yes, I entirely agree. What my hon. Friend says is absolutely right. We have introduced the Drugwise 2 package for schools, which has been successful, and not so long ago we held a conference advising schoolchildren of the dangers of taking drugs. That, too, was successful.