National Crack Plan

HC Deb 18 September 2003 vol 410 c944W

Mr. Bercow

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the impact of the National Crack Plan. [130492]

Caroline Flint

The National Crack Plan, which was published in December 2002, recognises the particular harm done by the supply and use of crack cocaine. It requires action under all four aims of the Updated Drug Strategy and focused particularly on the 37 areas that have been identified as high crack areas.

Examples of resulting activity include; the introduction of legislation to fast track the closure of crack houses; the introduction, in collaboration with overseas Governments, of measures to reduce the supply of cocaine from the Caribbean; the piloting and evaluation of crack treatment services to expand provision and determine what works best, and the extension of diversionary activity programmes for young people to 31 high crack areas.

There is still much to do to combat the harm caused by crack cocaine, but we are determined, through the National Crack Plan, to make a difference.