§ 2.48 p.m.
§ Baroness Lane-FoxMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question standing in my name on the Order Paper.
§ The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government what action is being taken to assist schools in combating drug abuse.
§ The Earl of SwintonMy Lords, the Government have allocated, in response to proposals made by local education authorities, education support grants totalling £2 million to enable each authority to appoint a drug adviser from April onwards. Last month, the Government launched for young people a video package about drug misuse which has been made available free of charge to all secondary schools and local education authorities. This package complements the booklet, Drug Misuse and the Young, which the Government have made available also free of charge, to teachers and other professional staff in the education service. To date, over 155,000 copies have been issued. The Government are also funding the development of curriculum materials for use by teachers and teacher trainers.
§ Baroness Lane-FoxMy Lords, while I thank my noble friend the Minister for that enlightening and useful reply, I am not sure whether he is aware that I was one of the Members of this House privileged to see the video to which he referred. It occurs to me, as a result of that, to wonder whether my noble friend can assure me that teachers who have the handling of the information pack that goes with the film are really well versed, since otherwise the message is fairly obscure.
§ The Earl of SwintonMy Lords, indeed I am aware that my noble friend was there because I believe I sat next to her during the showing of it. I can assure her that the package comprises two video programmes—the one which we saw, which was based on the TV series "Minder", and also another one. There are forceful accompanying teachers' notes and other material which will enable young people to explore their own attitudes, values and feelings towards drugs, and to practise relevant coping skills.
§ Lord MellishMy Lords, can the Minister say what he is doing about encouraging those schools which are refusing to allow the police to go into their premises—because they are anti-police—with the result that they are depriving the children of information from the 940 police which is vital today in the control of drug abuse? It is a known fact that some schools are stopping the police going in. What do the Government intend to do about those stupid schools?
§ The Earl of SwintonMy Lords, we had a debate the other day in which this subject was raised. Also, we most warmly welcome the issue by the National Association of Head Teachers of a most timely and responsible document called Council Memorandum on Alcohol, Drugs and Solvent Abuse. In that document they draw the attention of their head teachers to the advisability of co-operating most strongly with the police in all aspects of drug abuse in schools.
§ Baroness PhillipsMy Lords, will my noble friend draw the attention of his right honourable friend to the fact that this is yet one more job which the hard-pressed teachers will be expected to take on, and will his right honourable friend consider this when he is looking at the very meagre salaries he is willing to grant them?
§ The Earl of SwintonMy Lords, I think this is something any responsible teacher would wish to take on, and it would be something that would come up normally. I am not the noble Baroness's noble friend, though I like to think I am a friend of hers, but I shall certainly draw the attention of my right honourable friend to her remarks.
§ Lord KilmarnockMy Lords, can the noble Lord say what arrangements the Government are making to monitor the results of their television campaign, which I think is separate from the school video campaign but which may also be supposed to be directed at young people? Have they any results yet from that?
§ The Earl of SwintonMy Lords, there are no results yet through. It would be very difficult to monitor because there are no central figures kept for drug misuse inside and outside school premises. It would therefore be difficult to see what changes there have been as a result.
§ Baroness Masham of IltonMy Lords, may I ask my noble kinsman, now that the school health service is no longer under the education department but under the district health authority, whether the schools are getting co-operation from doctors and nurses over drug abuse problems?
§ The Earl of SwintonYes, my Lords. Schools may draw on the expertise of professionals in the health service as part of their health education programme, which covers drug education. Such involvement by health service staff must be fully integrated into the school's teaching programme; but, of course, the extent to which medical, nursing and other professional staff are involved in these arrangements rests with individual health authorities.
§ Baroness Lane-FoxMy Lords, may I ask my noble friend whether there is monitoring of the police going into schools?—because surely this must be a way of 941 rooting out the really drastic and horrendous activities involved in drugs abuse that we hear are still increasing.
§ The Earl of SwintonMy Lords, I am sure my noble friend will know that the education service is not a national service but is provided by local authorities. I think it is up to them in their own areas to decide whether or not they wish to monitor what is going on in their schools.