§ Mr. PicklesTo ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on powers available to local authorities to remove tenants convicted of drug dealing. [104176]
§ Mr. McNultyThe Housing Act 1996 provides a ground for possession where the tenant or their associate has been convicted of using the dwelling for immoral or illegal purposes (such as drug dealing from the premises) or has committed an arrestable offence in the locality of the tenancy.
Furthermore, the Home Office published an Anti-Social Behaviour White Paper on 12 March which proposes to give police the power to close down premises—rented, owner occupied or otherwise—where Class A drugs are being sold or used and where this has resulted in serious nuisance to the local residents and wider community.
Region 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 East Midlands 3,924 5,099 5,363 4,511 3,878 5,185 Eastern 3,911 4,393 4,461 4,129 3,986 4,433 London 13,067 18,596 21,071 19,800 21,834 19,127 Merseyside 1,087 1,269 1,793 1,719 3,789 1,542 North East 1,970 2,285 3,003 2,353 2,353 2,660 North West 5,883 5,506 6,804 6,318 5,456 5,797 South East 6,076 6,635 6,996 5,519 6,085 5,948 South West 2,939 3,245 3,655 2,549 2,041 3,441 Wales 2,036 2,593 3,075 3,090 3,079 3,439 West Midlands 4,639 5,255 6,755 6,145 7,556 6,023 Yorkshire and Humber 4,333 4,825 5,747 5,448 5,563 5,103 England and Wales 49,865 59,701 68,723 61,581 65,620 62,698