§ Mr. Simon HughesTo ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what recent evidence her office has taken into account in formulating drugs policy. [111116]
§ Mr. Ian McCartneyThe Government are responsive to all reliable drugs-related evidence which is available. Recent statistics show encouraging signs that Government anti-drugs measures are having a positive effect. For example, research undertaken in 1999 reported that the number of 14/15-year-olds who experimented at least once with illegal substances fell from around 32 per cent. in 1996 to around 26 per cent. in 1998.