§ Mr. HawkinsTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the effects on community safety and overall policing of the Lambeth cannabis relaxation pilot project; and if he will make a statement. [66737]
§ Mr. Bob Ainsworth[holding answer 4 July 2002]My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary (Mr. Blunkett) has noted carefully the emerging findings of the ongoing evaluation of the Lambeth cannabis policing pilot, whose aim is to provide police officers with more time to concentrate on more serious offences in relation to Class A drugs and other core policing business—in particular, robbery, gun crime and burglary.
He has noted that from July 2001 to May 2002 there was a 10 per cent. increase in arrests for Class A drug trafficking offences in comparison with the 12 month period July 2000 to June 2001; that, according to a Police Foundation/MORI poll, 83 per cent. of Lambeth residents supported the cannabis scheme and 74 per cent. believed the scheme would result in more police time being redeployed to tackle serious crime; and that this is what has happened. 1,350 hours of police time, the equivalent of 1.8 officers, were saved in the first six months of the pilot.
My right hon. Friend has also taken note of a survey of headteachers in Lambeth, conducted by the Metropolitan Police, which revealed that the policing of cannabis pilot operating in that borough has revealed no adverse impact in terms of increased prevalence (levels of use) problems or problems such as truancy.
He recognizes that continued community confidence in the scheme and community safety depend upon police officers continuing to spend more time dealing effectively with serious crime in the borough. In particular, he expects the police to respond swiftly and effectively to any attempt to defy the law by those dealing in drugs.