§ Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Prime Minister what proposals the Government have to counteract the increase in heroin use among teenagers and school children; and if she will set up a joint working group of the Department of Health and Social Security and the Department of Education and Science and other Departments to find ways and means of combating such drug abuse.
§ The Prime MinisterThe Government are advised on all aspects of drug misuse by the statutory Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs. Government Departments work closely with the council.
The council last year completed a report on treatment and rehabilitation following which the Government made available an additional £2 million this year and in each of the next two years for new initiatives at local level. A further statement on the Government's response to this report will be made shortly. I understand that the council expects to complete within the next few weeks a report on prevention which is likely to include consideration of the ways in which young people can be encouraged not to misuse drugs. Its recommendations will be carefully considered.
The Government are continuing their efforts to reduce the supply of illicit drugs coming into the country, not only in full co-operation with the appropriate international agencies, but by direct liaison with and assistance to the Government of Pakistan. The efforts of Her Majesty's Customs and Excise, which plays a major role in this area, have been maintained and its investigation services strengthened. Chief officers of police allocate a high priority to drugs squads concentrating their resources against traffickers in drugs.