§ Mr. Costainasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement regarding the work of the Hong Kong Prison Service in pioneering the treatment of drug addiction.
§ Mr. RowlandsSince 1958 the Hong Kong courts have been empowered to commit those found guilty of minor drug offences for treatment, a reform which permitted the Prisons Department to undertake experimental rehabilitation work. The lessons learned were incorporated in the Drug Addiction Treatment Centres Ordinance of 1969. There are now three centres for men and one for women, with 1,447 persons undergoing institutional treatment and 1,747 aftercare treatment for a year.
§ Mr. Costainasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what success has been achieved by the Hong Kong police in the break up of drug syndicates and the checking of drug supplies.
§ Mr. RowlandsA number of major syndicates were neutralised in 1975 and their members sentenced to long terms of imprisonment. This year the law enforcement agencies have seized very large quantities of drugs and arrested fifty of those responsible for the organisation of drug trafficking and manufacture.
§ Mr. Costainasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps are being taken to reduce demand for drugs in Hong Kong 311W by the treatment and rehabilitation of addicts, especially young addicts.
§ Mr. RowlandsThere are various treatment, rehabilitation and aftercare programmes and 12 Methadone detoxification clinics were recently opened. The Society for the Aid and Rehabilitatioi of Drug Addicts' voluntary institutional programme and the Prison Department's Drug Addiction Treatment Centre for convicted addicts aged between 14 and 21 are among the programmes aimed primarily at young addicts.