§ Mr. HurstTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many convictions for possession of cannabis in England and Wales in the years 1992 to 1997 were sentenced alone and without convictions simultaneously for other offences. [31639]
§ Mr. George HowarthInformation from the court proceedings database for 1993 to 1996 (latest available) is given in the table. Prior to 1993, the offence of possession of cannabis could not be identified separately by the statistics collected on indictable drug offences.
People convicted for possession of cannabis1,2 at all courts who may or may not have been convicted simultaneously for other offences, 1993–1996 England and Wales Numbers and percentages 1993 1994 1995 1996 Total persons convicted [=100%] 8,823 12,618 14,718 13,552 of no other offence 5,045 7,653 7,600 7,918 57% 61% 52% 58% of other offences simultaneously 3,778 4,965 7,118 5,634 43% 39% 48% 42% 1Offence under section 5(2) of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 as amended by the Criminal Justice & Public Order Act 1994, section 157, schedule 8, part II. 2 Numbers of convictions have been counted only where the possession of cannabis was the principal or only offence.