§ 24. Mr. Gordon MarsdenTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to encourage the extension of arrest referral schemes by the police as a means of combating drug use. [40286]
§ Mr. George HowarthOne of the four key aims of the Government's recently published drugs strategy is to protect communities from drug-related crime. Action planned in support of this aim will include promotion of arrest referral schemes. Currently, just over half the police forces in England and Wales have arrest referral schemes.
§ 29. Mr. Ronnie CampbellTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent research he has commissioned into the link between drugs and crime. [40291]
§ Mr. George HowarthResearch currently in progress includes work on the criminal lifestyles of crack addicts, on the effects of treatment of addicts' criminality, and on developing performance indicators for police anti-drugs strategies. Consideration is also being given to extending a project on drug testing and interviewing arrestees, the first results of which were published last month.
32. Mr. Gareth ThomasTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of people arrested by the police are addicted to heroin and other opiates. [40294]
§ Mr. MichaelInformation on what proportion of people arrested by the police are addicted to heroin and other opiates is not available. However, a study conducted for the Home Office by the University of Cambridge of drug use by samples of people arrested by the police in various English cities was published recently, and a copy is in the Library.
Urine tests showed high levels of recent drug consumption among arrestees—61 per cent. had taken at least one illegal drug. Comparatively high proportions of arrestees across all sample areas tested positive for heroin/opiates (18 per cent.). The proportion of interviewees who said they were dependent on heroin was 11 per cent.; 9 per cent. admitted dependency on methadone; and a further 2 per cent. on dipipanone 48W (Diconal). It should be noted that the proportions admitting drug dependence varied from one sample to another.
§ 33. Ms Oona KingTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will visit the drugs awareness scheme in Bethnal Green and Bow to discuss community-based projects to tackle drug abuse among young people. [40295]
§ Mr. George HowarthI am happy to receive information about the scheme but have no plans to visit.
§ 36. Mr. Barry JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement about the priorities of his Department for the UK presidency of the European Union in respect of drug abuse. [40298]
§ Mr. George HowarthThe United Kingdom Presidency has given priority to action against drug trafficking and drugs misuse, in particular by building on the wide range of work already underway across the three pillars of the European Union, which covers the responsibilities of a number of Government Departments. A main objective for the Home Office, in addition to ongoing practical activity, such as implementation of the Joint Actions on new synthetic drugs and approximation of drugs laws and practices, has been to launch consideration of a new five-year European Union drugs strategy, which would take effect from 2000. We have tabled detailed proposals of the key aims and goals of the new strategy.
We have also played a significant part in ensuring an effective input to European Union co-ordination in the preparatory process for the United Nations General Assembly Special Session on Drugs, being held in New York in June, particularly in areas of direct interest to the Home Office, such as precursor chemicals, amphetamine-type stimulants, judicial co-operation, money laundering and drugs demand reduction.