§ 25. John BarrettTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the reclassification of cannabis as a class C drug. [13364]
§ Mr. Bob AinsworthMy right hon. Friend the Home Secretary has asked the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs to review the scientific and medical arguments for reclassifying cannabis from Class B to Class C under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. The Advisory Council is due to provide its advice within three months.
§ Paul FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the changes in the numbers of people using recreational cannabis in(a) the United Kingdom and (b) other Council of Europe countries with populations of more than five million in the last five years. [15817]
§ Mr. Bob AinsworthEstimates on the changing patterns of drug misuse in this country are set out in the British Crime Survey. European data are collected by the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA). EMCDDA are working to develop specific instruments to facilitate analysis of the different data collection and data comparison methods throughout Europe. Copies of both reports are available in the Library.