§ 2.59 p.m.
§ LORD CLIFFORD OF CHUDLEIGHMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the Ques- 1148 tion which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
[The Question was as follows:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what evidence they have on drug addiction in the Services and what steps they are taking to counteract this.]
EARL FERRERSMy Lords, drug addiction as such is extremely rare in the Services. All commanding officers and medical officers are aware of the dangers of drug taking. Comprehensive instructions on drugs were issued to the Services in 1969, and lectures are now given to new entrants on the dangers of drug taking. Specialist teams have recently been set up to visit Service establishments and to give lectures to officers and N.C.O.s on the whole question.
§ LORD CLIFFORD OF CHUDLEIGHMy Lords, while thanking the noble Earl for that reply, I wonder whether I may ask him three supplementary questions. As the bad influences come generally from contact with United States troops in Germany, and as many of our units go from Germany to Northern Ireland, where lack of discipline and control on a Vietnam basis would be extremely disastrous, could the noble Earl possibly arrange for some isolation of our troops from these influences? Secondly, could Queen's Regulations be adequately amended to enable this self-inflicted wound to be dealt with adequately by court-martial? Lastly, would the Minister ensure (he has already given me a reply to this particular question) that all officers are trained in the recognition of these symptoms, and that there is no danger of incidents being swept under the carpet?
EARL FERRERSMy Lords, we have no evidence that contact with United States troops in Germany has led, as the noble Lord alleged, I think, to any increase in the incidence of drug-taking in the Services. With regard to his point about courts-martial, the action taken upon the discovery of a person in possession of drugs, or being addicted to drugs, depends upon the circumstances in which such an offence is discovered. In the noble Lord's last supplementary question he asked whether adequate training was being given. I answered 1149 that partially in my original Answer, and I would merely re-emphasise it by telling the noble Lord that, for instance, on June 10 a special team for the R.A.F. is being set up which consists of a police officer, a medical officer and a Home Office representative, all of whom are, in their own specific ways, concerned with drug-taking. This team will be available to give talks to Staff officers at command and group level on all aspects of the effects of drugs.
§ BARONESS WOOTTON OF ABINGERMy Lords, could the noble Earl say whether, in the lectures which are given to the troops, any guidance is given as to the 'varying toxic effects of different drugs?
EARL FERRERSMy Lords, I should need notice of that specific question, but I will try to find out the answer and let the noble Baroness know.
§ LORD LEATHERLANDMy Lords, will the noble Earl see that the people who are to give the lectures to the troops are carefully briefed about the nature of those lectures? Because over 50 years ago, when we used to receive lectures in the Army about another social evil, the effect of the lectures was to encourage people to experiment in that particular evil, rather than to curb them.
LORD GRENFELLMy Lords, as one who has just returned from a visit to B.A.O.R., may I ask my noble friend whether it is not a fact that drug addiction in the Forces in Germany is virtually nil?