HC Deb 26 June 1997 vol 296 c624W
Mr. Leigh

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if she will list the total amount(a) spent and (b) allocated by her Department on tackling problems relating to drugs in respect of (i) improving international co-operation to reduce supplies from abroad, (ii) increasing the effectiveness of police and Customs enforcement, (iii) maintaining effective deterrents and tight domestic controls, (iv) developing prevention publicity, education and community action and (v) improving treatment and rehabilitation, for (1) 1994, (2) 1995, (3) 1996 and (4) 1997. [4782]

Mr. Ingram

Information on total Government expenditure on tackling drug misuse in Northern Ireland is not recorded on an annual basis. Estimated expenditure for the 1993–94 financial year for Northern Ireland was published in May 1995 White Paper "Tackling Drugs Together" as part of the UK expenditure figure of £526 million. Figures for the calendar years 1994 and 1995 are not available.

The most recent available estimates for Northern Ireland were published on 18 March 1997 in the NI Affairs Committee Report: Illicit Drug Use in NI and refer to the 1995–96 financial year. They show that at least £7.17 million of expenditure in 1995–96 could be directly attributable to drug prevention and treatment programmes, public information campaigns and enforcement activities across the province. Similar costings were incurred for delivering these same services for 1996 and 1997.

However, in 1996 and in addition to the £7.17 million, an extra £0.5 million was secured for each of the next three years to develop a NI Drugs Campaign, which will be used to fund a broad range of drugs services including a public information campaign, educational training and materials for schools, drug handbooks for drug professionals, and a drugs research strategy, and to create four drugs co-ordination teams.

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