§ Mr. SheermanTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what criteria are used to measure the cost-effectiveness of programmes dealing with drug misuse and, in particular (i) drug enforcement programmes, (ii) education programmes to reduce demand, (iii) treatment programmes and (iv) court disposals for drug abusers including those convicted of both possession and supply.
§ Mr. MellorIt is difficult to measure the cost-effectiveness of different programmes designed to tackle drug misuse; the most that can often be achieved is to estimate the costs of the programme and measure certain of its intermediate outputs. Wagstaff and Maynard, in their 1985 study of economic aspects of the illicit drug market and drug enforcement policies in the United Kingdom (published as Home Office research study 95), undertook some preliminary economic analysis of the drug enforcement activities of the police and customs, and constructed a number of different cost-effectiveness indices. A Home Office research study, planned to start later this year, will seek to estimate the cost of each of the different aspects of the Government's strategy against drugs.