§ Mrs. Gillian ShephardTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if his Department is proposing to take any action against the spread of the acid house cult; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Douglas HoggI assume that my hon. Friend's particular concern is with misuse of certain drugs—notably MDMA, also known as ecstasy, and LSD—said to be associated with the acid house craze. The Government give the highest priority to tackling drug misuse, and have devised a balanced strategy which aims at reducing both the supply of, and demand for, drugs. Effective law enforcement action is a key element of the strategy, and hon. Members will have noted the operations against acid house parties undertaken by several police forces in the home counties during the weekend of 5 and 6 November.