HC Deb 25 January 1990 vol 165 cc867-8W
21. Mr. Rathbone

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what amount of illegal drugs coming from outside the European Community have been seized during the last 12 months for which statistics are available; and what was the figure in the previous 12-month period.

Mr. Mellor

At present only provisional figures are available for seizures of controlled drugs made by Customs in 1989. Figures for seizures of heroin, cocaine and cannabis coming from outside the European Community in 1989 are, provisionally, 247 kg of heroin, as against 218 kg in 1988; 158 kg of cocaine, as against 178 kg in 1988; and 25,750 kg of cannabis, as against 34,973 kg in 1988.

Comparable figures for police seizures are unavailable since the country of origin is not generally known or recorded.

26. Mrs. Golding

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what will be the annual operating cost of the new anti-drugs network recently announced by the Government.

103. Mr. Illsey

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what will be the annual operating cost of the new anti-drugs network recently announced by the Government.

Mr. Mellor

As I stated in my reply to a question from the hon. Member for Torfaen (Mr. Murphy) on 7 December, subject to Parliament's approval of the Supply Estimates, up to £2.3 million is being made available in 1990–91 for the drug prevention initiative which was announced on 11 October 1989.

39. Mr. Irvine

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures police forces are taking in conjunction with local education authorities to warn pupils of the dangers of drug taking.

Mr. Mellor

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Cambridgeshire, South-East (Mr. Paice) on 5 December at column176. Since then, Home Office circular 99/1989 has been issued to the police offering ideas on the way forward on police-schools liaison.

89. Mr. Hind

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many seizures of illicit drugs have been made by police and Her Majesty's Customs and Excise from 1989 to date; and what is the estimated value of drugs seized.

Mr. Mellor

Customs report a provisional total of 8,026 seizures of controlled drugs in 1989. It is estimated that these would have had an equivalent street value of some £250 million. The provisional figures for January 1990 to date are 262 seizures with an estimated street value of £151,000. Comprehensive figures are not yet available for police seizures in 1989 or 1990; the latest information is for 1988 when police made 32,947 seizures and Customs 5,288 seizures of controlled drugs.

91. Mr. David Porter

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many countries will be represented at the forthcoming world ministerial summit on drug demand reduction.

Mr. Mellor

The world ministerial summit to reduce the demand for drugs and to combat the cocaine threat, which will be held in London from 9 to 11 April, is being organised by Her Majesty's Government in association with the United Nations. Invitations are being extended to the member states of the United Nations, specialised agencies and related organisations, non-member observer states and intergovernmental and other organisations having standing invitations to participate in the sessions and work of the General Assembly as observers. The indications are that most countries will accept the invitation to participate in the work of the conference.

137. Dr. Twinn

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the current establishment of the Police national drugs intelligence unit.

Mr. Peter Lloyd

The unit's complement has doubled since it was established in 1985. Including officers serving overseas, it now has a complement of 100 police, Customs and civilian staff.