HC Deb 08 February 1993 vol 218 cc419-20W
Mr. Meale

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what new strategies he intends to promote to tackle drug problems in Mansfield and in Nottinghamshire.

Mr. Jack

The Government's strategy for tackling drug misuse is aimed at reducing both the supply of and the demand for drugs. In Nottingham a local drugs prevention team has been set up under the Home Office drugs prevention initiative—DPI—and they will continue to work with the local community in finding effective ways of preventing the spread of drug misuse. As the work of the 20 local teams is evaluated and lessons are learnt from it, we aim to ensure that other areas of the country have the opportunity to benefit from the DOI's experience.

Nottinghamshire, like other areas, will benefit from other aspects of the Government's drug strategy such as the measures in the Criminal Justice Bill to tighten the law on drug trafficking and money laundering, the assistance we are providing to other countries to help reduce the supply of drugs into this country and the tougher controls which we are introducing on precursor and essential chemicals.

At the national level, we are committed to bringing forward proposals to ensure that the control of drug misuse is co-ordinated effectively, and the Criminal Justice Bill which we hope to bring before the House shortly, further tightens the law on drug trafficking and money laundering.

Mr. Cox

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what new strategies his Department intends to promote to tackle drug problems in Greater London; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Jack

The Government's strategy for tackling drug misuse is aimed at reducing both the supply of and the demand for drugs. Within the Greater London area, six local drug prevention initiative teams are working in key areas with the local community in developing imaginative strategies specifically designed to tackle local drugs problems. In addition, the London drug policy forum, which receives funding from the Home Office, has initiatives in hand for promoting the co-ordination of local authority effort on drug-related matters.

At the national level, we are committed to bringing forward proposals to ensure that the control of drug misuse is co-ordinated effectively and the Criminal Justice Bill, which we hope to bring before the House shortly, further tightens the law on drug trafficking and money laundering.