§ Q12. Mr. DonohoeTo ask the Prime Minister when he next expects to visit Ayrshire. [4968]
§ The Prime MinisterI have no immediate plans to visit Ayrshire, but I have done so many times in the past and no doubt will do so again.
§ Mr. DonohoeThat is a great shame because Ayrshire is such a beautiful county. My right hon. Friend does not know what he is missing. I am sure that we will he able to entice him to the wonderful Ayrshire coast—the Clyde coast—in the not-too-distant future. More seriously, if he were to come he would learn that there is a tremendously high level of drug taking in Ayrshire. Local health board estimates suggest that 30,000 people have at some point taken drugs. Knowing of his commitment before the general election to set up a task force, what progress has been made by him and by my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary?
§ The Prime MinisterThe proposal that we made during the course of the election to appoint one person— 295 the so-called drugs tsar—to be in charge of all aspects of our policy, will be put into effect shortly. We are concerned to move quickly on the problem, not merely because of the effects that my hon. Friend has mentioned in relation to his constituency and others, but because of the absolute, hard and overwhelming evidence of the link between drug abuse and crime. That is why we are going to introduce measures, not merely to crack down on drug abuse and those taking and peddling drugs, but to tackle some of the underlying causes of crime such as youth unemployment.
§ Mr. Alasdair MorganMy question relates to Ayrshire, particularly the Ayrshire coast and the coast of the south-west of Scotland. Can we expect an early statement on the problems of the munitions in Beaufort Dyke, particularly the revelations about radioactive waste being dumped there?
§ The Prime MinisterWe have made available such evidence as exists. The reason why the subject is being discussed today at Prime Minister's questions is precisely because when it came to light that, contrary to previous Government assurances, which were made in good faith, radioactive material had been dumped, we disclosed that fact. That is why we are discussing the matter now; if further information comes to light, we shall disclose that. I repeat, because it is important that people should not become unnecessarily alarmed, that the advice that I have been given is that the dumping was of a low level and that there is no risk to human health or the environment. If any further evidence, or anything that may change or mitigate that statement, comes to light, we shall make the information available to the House.