§ Mr. HawkinsTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent analysis his Department has made of the number of offenders whose offences were related to their addiction to Class A drugs who had previously taken cannabis. [44976]
§ Mr. Bob Ainsworth[holding answer 21 March 2002]: On 23 October last year, my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary (Mr. Blunkett) asked the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs to review the scientific literature on cannabis, including the so-called "gateway theory". Their analysis of this theory can be found in section 4.6 of their Report, "The classification of cannabis under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971", which was published on 14 March 2002. The Report says that it is not possible to state, with certainty, whether or not cannabis use predisposes users to dependence on Class A drugs. Nevertheless, the risks (if any) are small and less than those associated with the use of tobacco or alcohol.
There is a link between Class A drugs and crime. Preliminary findings from the drug testing programme, currently being piloted in Staffordshire, Nottingham and Hackney, show that 55 per cent. of offenders arrested for trigger offences (property crime, robbery and Class A drugs offences) tested positive for heroin and/or cocaine (including crack cocaine). The number who previously used cannabis is not known.