§ Mr. Dobsonasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many burglaries of local pharmacies involving the theft of drugs have taken place in each of the last five years.
§ Mr. MellorThis information is not collected centrally on a regular basis. However, information collected in 1981 from 26 police forces in England and Wales suggested that there were nearly 600 burglaries in pharmacies recorded in these forces involving the loss of controlled drugs ("Reducing Burglary: a Study of Chemists' Shops" — Crime Prevention Unit—Paper 1).
§ Mr. Dobsonasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what special advice on security is issued by his Department or chief officers of police to the owners or operators of local pharmacies.
§ Mr. MellorThe requirements for security of drugs controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act are contained in the Misuse of Drugs (Safe Custody) Regulations 1973. No specific guidance on security is issued by the Home Office or the police to persons conducting retail pharmacy businesses, but police crime prevention officers and chemist inspecting officers regularly give advice during their visits to pharmacies. In assessing the adequacy of their security arrangements, retail pharmacists are also urged to take account of the recommendations of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs in its report of 1983 on the security of controlled drugs. If the hon. Member has a specific case causing him concern, I should be pleased to look into it.