§ Mr. LlwydTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what current research his Department has(a) commissioned and (b) evaluated into the causes and consequences of illicit drug taking; and if he will make a statement. [13854]
§ Mr. SackvilleResearch commissioned by the Home Office supports the role of the Department in delivering the strategy set out in the White Paper, "Tackling Drags Together".
It includes projects to improve the information available on the nature and incidence of drag-related crime and public attitudes to it, as well as assessments of the general prevalence of drug misuse. Four projects are also in progress aimed at developing police strategies for tackling drag-related crime problems.
Independent evaluation projects have been commissioned in support of the Home Office drag prevention initiative's programme of work on effective drugs prevention action at community level.
Research has also been commissioned on the effects of the Prison Service mandatory drag testing programme on patterns of drag misuse in prisons.
Recently evaluated projects include drug prevalence findings from the 1994 British crime survey, lifestyles of crack and heroin addicts in Manchester, public attitudes to drag-related crime and the impact of methadone programmes on crime rates on Merseyside.