§ Paul FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will reassess the recommendations of the Police Foundation report on drug use. [12061]
§ Mr. Bob AinsworthNo. The Government published their response to the report of the independent inquiry into the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 by the Police Foundation in February 2001. We welcomed the inquiry's report and its contribution to the on-going process of assessing the effectiveness of the United Kingdom's drugs laws and policies.
The Government supported 24 of the inquiry's 81 recommendations, rejected 37 and referred the remaining 20 recommendations for further consideration by relevant Government Departments and agencies. There is no intention to undertake a further review of the inquiry's recommendations.
§ Paul FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what assessment he has made of the effect of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 on the levels of consumption of(a) heroin, (b) cocaine and (c) cannabis; [12058]
(2) if his Department has recently considered the merits of (a) legalising and (b) decriminalising the use of illegal drugs. [12171]
§ Mr. Bob AinsworthThere has been no change in Government policy on legalising or decriminalising illegal drugs. Our drugs laws deter experimentation, a point borne out by public opinion surveys. For example 30 per cent. of adults questioned by MORI for the Police Foundation inquiry cited illegality as the main reason for not taking drugs. Moreover, the findings of the 1998–99 youth lifestyle survey revealed that 64 per cent. of respondents who had never taken cannabis had not done so because it is against the law.
The Home Secretary has asked the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs to review the arguments for reclassifying cannabis from class B to class C. In giving evidence the Home Secretary said that he was not in favour of either legalisation or decriminalisation.
§ Paul FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many arrests were made for the(a) possession and (b) supply of (i) heroin, (ii) cocaine and (iii) cannabis in each of the past five years. [12057]
§ Mr. Bob AinsworthArrest data are not collected centrally by individual offence.
Information taken from the Home Office Court proceedings database showing the number of persons proceeded against for the (a) possession, (b) supply and (c) possession with intent to supply (i) heroin, (ii) cocaine and (iii) cannabis in England and Wales during the period 1996 to 2000 is given in the table.
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Persons proceeded against in the magistrates courts for the given offences, England and Wales, 1996–2000 Offence Principal statute 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 Having possession of a controlled drug Heroin Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 Sec. 5(2) 2,653 3,698 4,819 5,236 5,510 Cocaine Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 Sec. 5(2) 840 1,194 1,829 2,268 2,048 Cannabis Ibid as amended by the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 Sec. 157 Sch. 8 part II 14,857 18,940 24,395 24,322 22,303 Supplying or offering (or being concerned in) to supply a controlled drug Heroin Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 Sec. 4(3) 933 1,304 1,486 1,869 1,643 Cocaine Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 Sec. 4(3) 287 342 423 487 437 Cannabis Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 Sec. 4(3) 1,559 1,788 1,830 1,580 1,001 Having possession of a controlled drug with intent to supply Heroin Misuse of Drugs Act Sec. 5(3) 1,040 1,265 1,411 1,483 1,488 Cocaine Misuse of Drugs Act Sec. 5(3) 370 471 502 578 664 Cannabis Misuse of Drugs Act Sec. 5(3) 2,765 3,275 3,223 2,917 2,194 Note:
Data are given on a principal offence basis