§ Lord Aveburyasked Her Majesty's Government:
What measures they are taking to deter the use of Class A drugs at major sporting and entertainment events. [HL46]
§ Lord RookerThe policing of individual sporting events is a matter for discussion and agreement between the police and individual event organisers.
While is true that there was some evidence of drug taking at Royal Ascot, this was at a very low level. Of the 233,000 people who attended the four-day event, there were 27 arrests, mostly for public order offences, and only two for drug related offences, compared to seven arrests for drug related offences at last year's event.
In the case of Royal Ascot, the policing operation fulfilled its objective of ensuring that the public were able to enjoy the occasion in safety, free from crime and anti-social behaviour.