§ Ms. AbbottTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis outlining the standing policy of the Stoke Newington division in policing drug abuse and drug dealing in its area; and what assessment has been made of the effectiveness of the policy.
§ Mr. Peter LloydI understand from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis that the Stoke Newington division pursues an active multi-agency approach to drug abuse and drug dealing. The arrest of drug dealers was one of the main objectives for the division in 1990, and remains a priority for 1991. The division liaises with the local authority, commercial concerns and community groups.
This approach has resulted in the arrest of 120 persons for dealing in drugs during 1990, and there are indications of a slow but steady reduction in the number of peopie to be seen dealing in drugs on the streets. There have also been many drug seizures, including a particularly significant seizure of 240 kg of cannabis.