HC Deb 22 May 1997 vol 294 cc107-8W
Mr. Malins

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of those convicted of all crimes are known to be addicted to drugs. [870]

Mr. George Howarth

It is difficult to quantify the proportion of offenders addicted to drugs or dependent on them. The Home Office has a research programme designed to shed further light on the links between drugs and crime. It includes a study of drug use by samples of people arrested by the police in various cities. Preliminary results from this study point to a higher level of drug taking by arrestees than expected. However, the study is still incomplete; the University of Cambridge will be delivering a report to the Home Office in October, which is likely to be published around the end of the year.