§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what were the costs of(a) anti-drugs education initiatives and (b) other drugs reduction initiatives in each of the past 14 years; and what is the expected cost of similar campaigns in each of the next five years. [38357]
§ Mr. Ingram[holding answer 8 April 1998]: It is not possible to provide information on expenditure on anti-drugs education and other drug reduction initiatives in each of the last 14 years. This information is aggregated with other activities, in particular alcohol and tobacco, but also personal health issues.
A three year campaign aimed at addressing drug issues will come to an end in March 1999. £500,000 was made directly available each year to support that campaign.
The strategy for tackling drugs in Northern Ireland will be reviewed over the next few months and decisions about future expenditure will be made following the completion of that review.