§ Lord Harris of Greenwichasked Her Majesty's Government:
(i) What is the total quantity of heroin and cocaine seized by HM Customs and Excise in the first quarter of 1985; (ii) the street value of the drugs; and (iii) the comparable figure for each year since 1979.
The Earl of GowrieThe answer to the noble Lord's Question is as follows:
(i) the provisional quarterly figures for 1985 are not yet available. However, provisional figures for the first two months of 1985 are as follows:
Heroin 16 kgs. Cocaine 9.8 kgs. I have asked Customs and Excise to provide the noble Lord with the provisional quarterly figures when they become available.
(ii) Street values of heroin or cocaine are necessarily estimates and vary as the market fluctuates for various reasons. Customs and Excise estimates of the street value of the amounts shown under (i) are in the range of £2.4 million to £3.2 million (heroin) and £1.7 million to £2.2 million (cocaine).
(iii) The figures for heroin and cocaine seized by Customs and Excise in the first quarter of each year since 1979 are as follows:
Heroin (kilos) Cocaine (kilos) 1979 4.1 17.3 1980 9.8 3.6 1981 9.1 9.5 1982 26.3 1.2 1983 39.1 13.6 1984 46.4 2.8