§ Mr. RAMSDENasked the Home Secretary whether the Advisory Committee on Traffic in Opium has reported to the Council of the League of Nations that, in spite of the activity of the police and the heavy penalties imposed, the traffic in drugs in Western Europe is extremely difficult to cheek, while it has so far proved impossible to discover the means by which the drugs are obtained or the persons by whom the traffic is organised; and whether, under these circumstances, he will consider increasing the penalties on all convicted traffickers and, if necessary, introduce legislation for the purpose of inflicting the punishment of flogging?
§ Mr. SHORTTAs stated in my reply to the question of the hon. and gallant Member for Torquay (Colonel Burn) on the 9th instant, the question of strengthening the present Act is under consideration.
§ Mr. RAMSDENasked the Home Secretary the names of those drugs in respect of whose illicit traffic convictions have been secured within the last six months; and the country of origin of any of them and the number of convictions, and the proportion of aliens, coloured folk, and English engaged in this traffic?
§ Mr. SHORTTConvictions have been obtained in respect of raw opium, prepared opium, morphine, heroin, and cocaine. I am afraid I cannot give the hon. Member the other particulars asked for, but I am sending him a summary of the returns which were obtained recently from the police authorities of the convictions obtained under the Dangerous Drugs Act in 1921, which may give him some of the information he desires.