§ Lady HermonTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment has been made of the link between crime and drug addiction in Northern Ireland. [111330]
§ Jane KennedyThe Government are aware of anecdotal information, and limited evidence available from the Probation Board, that suggest that there are links between illicit drug misuse and crime in Northern Ireland. A number of small, localised, analyses have been completed, but a full regional assessment has yet to be carried out.
Under the Implementation Structures, created for delivery of the Illicit drugs and Alcohol Strategies, one of the activities specified in the Drug and Alcohol Regional Action Plan related to: undertaking research into the extent and nature of the drug problem, to identify crime committed under the influence of drugs and crime committed to get drugs. This activity has now been extended to cover alcohol, and a joint project is soon to be initiated.