Drug and Solvent Abuse (Hansard, 25 February 1993)

The Minister of State, Home Office (Earl Ferrers)
My Lords, the Home Office has established local teams in 20 locations in Great Britain to work with local communities in finding effective and new ways of preventing the spread of drug misuse, particularly among young people.
Extensive national publicity campaigns are undertaken to warn parents and children of the dangers of those substances.

§ Lord Molloy
My Lords, I thank the Minister for that encouraging Answer. Does he agree that solvent abuse and glue-sniffing take place in the poorer areas of our country, and that that is where the Home Office must concentrate? The grief felt every week by poor families is caused by thousands of young people dying from solvent abuse and glue-sniffing. British aerosol manufacturers are trying to find a way of ensuring that their goods cannot be used for such practices. Are the Government prepared to talk to them to see what they can do to help manufacturers that are acutely aware of the dangers their products can cause to young people, especially in the poorer areas of our country?

Earl Ferrers
My Lords, I agree that drug abuse and solvent abuse are terrible and affect people badly. I believe that they affect people right across the spectrum, although I dare say they affect poorer people more than others. One in 10 children may experiment with drugs and solvents. There are about 30 sniffable products in the average household, so while it is desirable to get rid of them, it is difficult to do so with complete certainty.

§ Lord Mancroft
My Lords, is my noble friend aware that the noble Lord, Lord Molloy, was not entirely correct when he said that the problem is related solely to poorer families? It is a problem which affects equally all families at all levels. There is no basis for the suggestion that it is worse among poorer families than it is among slightly better off families.
Moving slightly further, in relation to my noble friend's Answer about Home Office drug prevention teams, is he aware that by the time the initiative is finished—I am sure that he is aware of this—those drug teams will cost some £25 million? I believe they are now in the third year out of five years, and so far they have come to no conclusion either way as to what constitutes useful prevention, which was within their remit, and by the time they finish in two years' time they anticipate that they will again have reached no conclusion. That is not a satisfactory way for policy to continue.

Earl Ferrers
My Lords, clearly if one undertakes a programme, one evaluates its success. The programme will be evaluated. I agree with my noble friend that all sections of the community can be affected. Drug 338 education, including solvents, is now included in the national curriculum for England and Wales. Detailed guidance has been issued to help schools plan comprehensive programmes of health and drug education for all pupils between the ages of five and 16.

§ Lord Rea
My Lords, does the Minister realise that it has been shown, especially in Liverpool, that the enormous social cost of drug-related crime can be reduced by well-run drug treatment and rehabilitation units? Will he assure the House that they will be expanded and not have their funds reduced, directly or by stealth, through the implementation of the National Health Service and Community Care Act?

Earl Ferrers
My Lords, those organisations are obviously places which should be cared for by the Government and local authorities. One of the projects we are undertaking is the safer cities programme which at the moment affects 20 cities. A further 40 cities will be included in the near future. It is important to help people who have been affected by drug abuse so as to get them off drugs.

§ Lord Peyton of Yeovil
My Lords, my noble friend will be aware that there are, fortunately, a large number of intelligent and dedicated people running establishments which look after people suffering from this serious problem. Does he agree that it is important that their efforts are not hampered by time-wasting procedures? If I send him some examples, will he take a careful look at them?

Earl Ferrers
My Lords, I hate time-wasting procedures. If my noble friend were to write to me, I do not think that I would regard that as a time-wasting procedure.

§ Lord Monkswell
My Lords, will the Minister tell the House how many young people die each year as a result of sniffing glue or solvents and how many die as a result of consuming alcohol?

Earl Ferrers
My Lords, the noble Lord asked me a detailed question. I cannot give him the information about young people in the way that he asks, but I can tell him that in 1991 there were 69,800 seizures of all drugs; 47,600 drug offenders—an increase of 5 per cent. —21,000 registered addicts—an increase of 17 per cent.—and in 1990 there were 119 deaths. That is the latest figure we have. The figures are for all deaths and not just those of young people.

§ Lord Mackay of Ardbrecknish
My Lords, does my noble friend agree that drug and solvent abuse among the under-16s is but a symptom of a wider problem of indiscipline and a lack of firm guidance in the home and schools? Perhaps he could talk to our noble friends in the Department of Education about how we have, as a society, tied teachers' hands behind their backs when it comes to discipline, and, furthermore, discuss with the DoE the increase in truancy which of course gives children the time and the opportunity to indulge in solvent abuse.

Earl Ferrers
My Lords, my noble friend asked a question which goes a good deal wider than questions 339 about drugs, but I agree with him, fundamentally, that much of the trouble with drug abuse, solvent abuse, and crime as a whole starts with how children are brought up—from a very young age until they turn to crime and abuse. Everyone who has anything to do with children, whether in the home or in schools, or who allow people to watch videos and that sort of thing, bears a direct responsibility. I respectfully suggest that it is not enough to hive off the matter to someone else and to say that it is someone else's fault; it is the responsibility of us all.

§ Lord McIntosh of Haringey
My Lords, in his Answer to my noble friend Lord Molloy the Minister referred to 20 projects. Is he aware that at least 120 drug abuse centres which are supported by local authorities are at risk from the restrictions placed on local authority expenditure and capping?

Earl Ferrers
My Lords, I was of course referring to the Safe Cities programme.