§ 31. Miss BeggTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to focus the drugs strategy on class A drugs. [13370]
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§ 36. Jeff EnnisTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to focus the drugs strategy on class A drugs. [13376]
§ Mr. Bob AinsworthThe main focus of the Government's drugs strategy is on the drugs that cause the greatest harm, Class A drugs such as heroin and cocaine. However, as the Home Secretary indicated in his evidence to the Home Affairs Committee on 23 October 2001, we need to be even more effective at tackling the harm caused by Class A drugs. He is seeking advice from the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs on their assessment for reclassifying cannabis from Class B to Class C and will be introducing an innovative public awareness campaign on drugs aimed at young people. In addition, he has provided £1 million as a starter fund for a pilot project to help police target regional drug traffickers with a view to a national roll-out of the scheme, has agreed further roll-out of drug testing programmes, and has agreed a series of measures, in partnership with the Department of Health, to minimise the harm drugs cause. We are also currently reviewing progress against all the drugs strategy targets as part of the work for the 2002 spending review, to ensure that we still have the right balance arid focus.