§ Mr. Charles Irvingasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, for each year from 1976 to 1980, how many persons were sentenced to imprisonment, borstal training or detention centres for the offences of possession of cannabis, cultivation of cannabis, possession with intent to supply cannabis, supplying cannabis, Customs and Excise Act offences involving cannabis and allowing premises to be used for smoking cannabis; what were the lengths of the sentences; how many persons were sentenced to a suspended term of imprisonment for these offences where the suspension was subsequently removed and a term of imprisonment served; what were the lengths of these terms of imprisonment; how many persons were sentenced to a fine for these offences where non-payment of the fine resulted in the offender serving a term of imprisonment; and what were the lengths of these terms of imprisonment.
§ Mr. RaisonThe information available on sentencing in 1976 to 1979 is given in table 1; figures for 1980 are not yet available. Statistics of length of sentence of immediate imprisonement for principal drugs offences involving cannabis are given in table 2. The other information requested is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
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Table 1 Persons* sentenced for certain offences involving cannabis by offence, type of sentence and year. United Kingdom Number of persons Sentence Fine Detention centre Borstal training Suspended sentence Immediate imprisonment Unlawful possession of cannabis 1976 6,094 33 30 493 510 1977 6,490 32 24 474 593
Sentence Fine Detention centre Borstal training Suspended sentence Immediate imprisonment 1978 7,566 23 25 487 575 1979 8,049 26 23 409 526 Cultivation of cannabis 1976 526 1 1 58 33 1977 681 2 2 70 44 1978 627 3 1 59 56 1979 900 2 1 79 47 Possession with intent to supply cannabis unlawfully 1976 70 — 9 71 157 1977 89 — 5 69 141 1978 89 — 1 94 148 1979 109 3 2 94 136 Unlawful supply of cannabis 1976 198 6 8 86 129 1977 193 5 2 93 124 1978 225 4 4 83 155 1979 200 5 4 100 134
Table 2 Persons sentenced to immediate imprisonment for principal drugs offence involving cannabis by offence, length of sentence and year. United Kingdom Number of persons Length of sentence Total Up to 1 month 1 month to 3 months 3 months to 6 months 6 months to 12 months 12 months to 2 years 2 years to 4 years Over 4 years Unlawful possession of cannabis 1976 281 45 125 73 24 10 4 — 1977 358 61 156 82 28 21 9 1 1978 329 83 139 62 35 7 3 — 1979 330 99 152 50 19 7 2 1 Cultivation of cannabis 1976 14 1 5 5 1 2 — — 1977 23 4 7 9 3 — — — 1978 30 9 12 7 2 — — — 1979 26 5 8 8 3 2 — — Possession with intent to supply cannabis 1976 107 — 8 21 32 22 20 4 1977 100 — 8 19 23 25 18 7 1978 95 1 15 18 26 23 12 — 1979 99 2 13 21 29 18 12 4 Unlawful supply of cannabis 1976 98 1 9 12 30 25 18 3 1977 86 4 12 21 18 19 11 1 1978 120 1 10 27 37 23 19 3 1979 92 4 8 22 29 16 10 3 Unlawful import or export of cannabis 1976 251 1 5 8 26 62 112 37 1977 245 2 5 14 32 80 92 20 1978 257 2 6 22 44 102 63 18 1979 289 2 14 24 38 123 77 11 Permitting premises to be used for unlawful purposes involving cannabis* 1976 19 1 1 5 9 1 2 — 1977 12 — 4 5 2 1 — — 1978 11 — 4 5 1 1 — — 1979 14 3 3 3 4 1 — — *Offences relating to the use of premises for smoking cannabis are included in this category but cannot be separately identified.