HC Deb 14 June 2000 vol 351 cc930-1
6. Mr. Bob Blizzard (Waveney)

What assessment she has made of the effectiveness of drugs action teams in shire counties. [124267]

The Minister for the Cabinet Office (Marjorie Mowlam)

The effectiveness of drugs action teams is measured by an annual planning and reporting process based on plans and reports submitted by each drugs action team. The analysis of this year's plans and reports is currently under way and will be published shortly.

Mr. Blizzard

Does my right hon. Friend recognise that it is extremely difficult for a single anti-drugs co-ordinator to drive forward multi-agency work across a large shire county where the main population centres are spread around? Does she agree that we need additional sub-co-ordinators in population centres such as Lowestoft in Suffolk to spearhead local action? Drugs are still a huge problem in town and country. Do we not need to do even more at local level, including allocating more money for treatment?

Marjorie Mowlam

As I said in answer to Question 1, we have already increased this year's spending, particularly for treatment. From the reports of the drugs action teams in my hon. Friend's constituency, it is clear that increased provision for treatment is desperately needed. That is in hand. Whether the local drugs action teams decide to have regional co-ordinators is a decision for them. What we are doing is joining up government nationally, but not telling the teams what to do locally. We are recommending various methods that have been shown to work in some districts, and letting them choose.

Mr. John Bercow (Buckingham)

Is not the effectiveness of drugs action teams' work in shire counties indirectly but inextricably bound up with the deterrent impact of successful police investigations? To that end, what assessment has the right hon. Lady made of the criteria for and the resources available to surveillance operations?

Marjorie Mowlam

Co-ordination in large shire counties is not always difficult. I visited two recently, and both were excellent examples. If the hon. Gentleman has identified specific problems in his own county, I am most willing to look into them. On his final point, we are co-ordinating across security, police and other groups whose task is to stop the drugs coming in. We are also co-ordinating on prevention, education and more education in schools to make sure that we attack drugs from every possible angle.