§ Mr. Dalyellasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has any readily available statistics of the extent of theft of amphetamines from chemists' shops.
§ Mr. SharplesThe available information is in respect of the year 1969 and relates to offences known to the police involving thefts from chemists' shops in England, Scotland and Wales. There were 304 such offences involving 175,335 amphetamine tablets or capsules, 402 offences involving 379,272 dexamphetamine tablets or capsules, and 34 offences involving 4,751 methylamphetamine tablets or capsules. The total number of known offences was 740, but the number of incidents of theft is lower than this total since, in many cases, more than one of the types of amphetamine named was stolen in the course of one theft. The number of thefts is not available.
§ Mr. Dalyellasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce legislation to require drug manufacturers to release production figures of amphetamines.
§ Mr. SharplesThe provisions of the Misuse of Drugs Bill will enable my right hon. Friend to require any such information to be supplied should that be necessary.
§ Mr. Dalyellasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce legislation to require chemists to maintain an agreed level of security over stores of amphetamines.
§ Mr. SharplesMy right hon. Friend has it in mind, when the Misuse of Drugs Bill becomes law, to make regulations, under what is at present Clause 10, requiring precautions to be taken for safe custody, in chemists' shops and in certain other premises, of controlled drugs including amphetamines. Interested bodies will be consulted over the preparation of these regulations.
§ Mr. Dalyellasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he is satisfied with the law relating to the inspection of chemists' shops stocking amphetamines.
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§ Mr. SharplesNo, but the deficiency will be removed when the Misuse of Drugs Bill becomes law.