§ 29. Mr. Nichollsasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a further statement on the Government's strategy against the misuse of drugs.
§ Mr. David MellorThe Government's five-point strategy for tackling drug misuse has been overseen and co-ordinated since July 1984 by the Ministerial Group on the Misuse of Drugs, which I chair. In that time we have intensified our response to the drugs problem on all fronts, and implemented a wide range of initiatives aimed at reducing both the supply of and the demand for drugs. I am sending my hon. Friend a copy of "Progress in the fight against drugs", a note summarising our measures and achievements since 1984, which has been placed in the Library and the Vote Office.
§ 30. Mr. Forthasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were serving prison sentences for drug trafficking offences on the most recent date for which figures are available; and how this compares with each of the previous three years.
§ Mr. MellorThe information recorded centrally on prisoners relates to all drug offences and is published annually in "Prison Statistics England and Wales" (table 1.5 of the volume for 1984, Cmnd. 9622). The provisional figures for 1985 are 2,162 males and 189 females. Information on custodial sentences imposed for drug trafficking offences is published annually in "Statistics of the Misuse of Drugs; Supplementary Tables" (table 2.12 of the Issue for 1984, as revised in November 1985).
§ 33. Mr. Robert Atkinsasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made in the fight against drugs in the two years since the establishment of the ministerial group on the misuse of drugs.
§ Mr. MellorThe Government's five-point strategy for tackling drug misuse has been overseen and co-ordinated since July 1984 by the ministerial group on the misuse of drugs, which I chair. In that time we have intensified our response to the drugs problem on all fronts, and implemented a wide range of initiatives aimed at reducing both the supply of and the demand for drugs. I am sending my hon. Friend a copy of "Progress in the fight against drugs", a note summarising our measures and achievements since 1984, which has been placed in the Library and the Vote Office.
§ Mr. Geraint Howellsasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent provision he has made for dealing with the increase in drug abuse in rural areas.
§ Mr. MellorUnder our five-point strategy we aim to combat drug misuse wherever it may occur. Measures of382W particular relevance to rural areas include a 27 per cent. increase during 1985 in the strength of police drugs squads in provincial forces; the expansion of treatment and rehabilitation services throughout England and Wales; allocation of £4 million to the appointment of a prevention co-ordinator in every local education authority; and the launch last week of the latest phase of our anti-heroin advertising campaign.