§ Mr. Ian Stewartasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps are being taken to establish the number of non-registered narcotic addicts.
§ Dr. SummerskillThere is no system of registration of addicts in the United Kingdom. There is, however, an obligation imposed on every doctor by the Misuse of Drugs (Notification of and Supply to Addicts) Regulations 1973 to notify, to the Chief Medical Officer at the Home Office, details of persons whom he considers, or has reasonable grounds to suspect, to be addicted to narcotic drugs. The official statistics of addicts are derived from these notifications. Reminders of this obligation will shortly be sent to all doctors. A few health authorities are also being invited by the Department of Health and Social Security to test the recommendations of a working party on the problems of acquiring information about the extent and nature of drug misuse in an area.