§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what assessment he has made of the changes in the numbers of(a) cautions for cannabis possession or dealing, (b) prosecutions for cannabis possession or dealing, (c) fines for cannabis possession or dealing and (d) prison sentences for cannabis possession or dealing in each of the past 10 years; and if he will make a statement; [26482]
(2) how many (a) cautions for cannabis possession or dealing, (b) prosecutions for cannabis possession or dealing, (c) fines for cannabis possession or dealing and (d) prison sentences for cannabis possession or dealing there were in each of the past 10 years. [26481]
§ Mr. George HowarthInformation for 1986 to 1995 (the latest available) is given in the table. Data are not available in the form requested before 1986.
Between 1986 and 1995, the number of cautions for possession of cannabis increased nine-fold. The number of prosecutions doubled. The use of fines went up by two-thirds and the number of custodial sentences stayed much the same but with variations from year to year.
The use of cautions for possession with intent to supply cannabis unlawfully increased sixteen-fold and the number of prosecutions went up two and a half times. The use of fines and custodial sentences for such offences about doubled over the period covered with variations from year to year.
Cautioning for the unlawful supply of cannabis showed a ten-fold increase, while prosecutions doubled. Like offences for possession with intent to supply unlawfully, the use of fines and custodial sentences varied from year to year but essentially stayed about the same over the period.
As a proportion of those dealt with for possession of cannabis, the use of cautioning increased from 35 to 62 per cent. The equivalent figures for possession with intent to supply unlawfully rose from less than 2 per cent. to just under 8 per cent.; for unlawful supply the respective figures were less than four and less than 16 per cent. The use of fines for simple possession offences fell from just over a half in 1986 to about one fifth in 1995.