§ 37. Mr. BayleyTo ask the President of the Council if she will make a statement about the Government's policy to curb the misuse of drugs. [12033]
§ Mrs. Ann TaylorThe Prime Minister announced last month that Keith Hellawell—currently Chief Constable of West Yorkshire—would be the new UK anti-drugs co-ordinator, and will take up his post early in the New Year. He will be supported by a deputy, Michael Trace. The co-ordinator's first priority will be to review existing action against drugs across the board, and then make recommendations to Ministers for further developments.
§ 41. Mr. FlynnTo ask the President of the Council what assessment she has made of the result of the Government's strategy on the reduction in the use of illegal drugs. [12037]
§ Mrs. Ann TaylorThe most recent national data on the prevalence of drug misuse are from the 1996 British Crime Survey (BCS). The report concludes that between the 1994 and 1996 BCS, there was essentially no change in levels of drug misuse across England and Wales as a whole. I have asked Keith Hellawell to consider the implications of these findings.