HC Deb 22 May 2000 vol 350 cc670-1
11. Mr. Paul Flynn (Newport, West)

What plans he has to visit the Netherlands to investigate anti-drugs policies. [121541]

The Minister of State, Home Office (Mr. Charles Clarke)

None—although, recently, I was there for three days on holiday.

Mr. Flynn

How does the Minister respond to the conclusions of the Police Foundation that, after 20 years of decriminalisation in the Netherlands, cannabis use is far less than it is in Britain, and that that country has the lowest ratio of drug deaths in Europe? After 30 years of prohibition in this country, heroin use has increased by 2,000 per cent., and cannabis use is the highest in Europe. Has not the Police Foundation demolished the main plank of the Government's policy by also concluding that young people in Holland are far less likely to experiment with heroin than those elsewhere in Europe?

Apart from making jokes on the subject, will my hon. Friend fulfil his important duty as a Minister, to reduce drug deaths by examining fairly all the evidence, including the success of the Netherlands?

Mr. Clarke

I do not make jokes about the subject. Drug taking among young people is one of the most serious and tragic matters with which we have to deal. It is incumbent on Governments to try by all means possible to drive down drug taking by young people. For that reason, I did not accept the conclusions of the Police Foundation report.

It is not clear that the Dutch policy has been a success. The Dutch Government have reduced both the overall numbers of coffee shops and the amount of cannabis that can be bought with impunity in any one transaction. I understand that they will be reviewing the policy again this year. The semi-legal trade in cannabis in the Netherlands has also helped to make that country a safer place for big-time crooks. That is why there are substantial problems in that regard.

In addition, it is incumbent on us all to appreciate that there are significant contradictions between the coffee shop policy in the Netherlands and international agreements. The single convention on narcotic drugs 1961 states that effective measures against abuse of narcotic drugs require co-ordinated and universal action; the convention calls for international co-operation aimed at common objectives. That is our policy. It is not a joking matter at all; the Government are doing all that we can to drive down drug taking.