§ Mr. StinchcombeTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many people were(a) found guilty, (b) cautioned and (c) imprisoned for drugs offences in respect of (i) cannabis, (ii) amphetamines, (iii) LSD, (iv) cocaine, (v) ecstasy, (vi) heroin and (vii) crack in each year since 1981; [66667]
(2) how many drugs seizures there were by the police and Her Majesty's Customs of (a) cannabis, (b) amphetamines, (c) LSD, (d) cocaine, (e) ecstasy, (f) heroin and (g) crack in each year since 1981; [66661]
(3) what quantities of (a) cannabis, (b) amphetamines, (c) LSD, (d) cocaine, (e) ecstasy, (f) heroin and (g) crack were seized by the police and by Her Majesty's Customs in each year since 1981. [66666]
§ Mr. Bob AinsworthThe information requested on the number of drug seizures and the quantities seized by the police and Her Majesty's Customs is given in the Supplementary Tables volume of the annual Home Office Statistical Bulletin "Drug Seizure and Offender Statistics, United Kingdom". Information on people cautioned or found guilty (including custodial sentences) of drug offences is contained in the main publication volume. Copies of these volumes, together with the Area Tables volume, are available in the Library.
§ Mr. StinchcombeTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people in the United Kingdom aged(a) 34 years and younger and (b) 35 years and older are estimated to have taken (i) cannabis, (ii) amphetamines, (iii) LSD, (iv) cocaine, (v) ecstasy, (vi) heroin and (vii) crack. [66665]
§ Mr. Bob AinsworthThe most up-to-date estimates currently available are from the 2000 British Crime Survey. Data are only available for England and Wales.
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Table 1: Estimates of the number of 16 to 34-year-olds having ever used various drugs in their lifetime, in England and Wales in 2000 Best estimate Lower estimate Higher estimate Cannabis 5,526.000 5,305,000 5,746,000 Amphetamines 2,624,000 2,807,000 2,451,000 LSD 1,345,000 1,216,000 1,486,000 Cocaine 1,217,000 1,094,000 1,352,000 Ecstasy 1,427,000 1,294,000 1,571,000 Heroin 206,000 157,000 269,000 Crack 247,000 193,000 315,000
Table 2: Estimates of the number of 35 to 59-year-olds having ever used various drugs in their lifetime, in England and Wales in 2000 Best estimate Lower estimate Higher estimate Cannabis 3,208,000 3,035,000 3,390,000 Amphetamines 1,047,000 943,000 1,161,000 LSD 489,000 419,000 570,000 Cocaine 385,000 323,000 458,000 Ecstasy 154,000 116,000 203,000 Heroin 93,000 65,000 132,000 Crack 71,000 47,000 107,000
§ Mr. LawsTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his Department succeeded in reducing access to drugs for those aged between 5 and 16 years between 1998 and 2001–02; and if he will make a statement. [66290]
§ Mr. Bob Ainsworth[holding answer 4 July 2002]: Results from the 2001 Survey of Drug use, Smoking, and Drinking among school children aged 11 to 15 years in England (published in a Statistical Press Notice by Department of Health on 15 March 2002) show that 42 per cent. have ever been offered at least one or more drugs.
A revised method of measuring the prevalence of drug use was introduced in 2001 and the questions used in 2001 provide new estimates of drug use and are not strictly comparable with results from previous years. The results from previous surveys are 34 per cent. in 1998, 35 per cent. in 1999, and 35 per cent. in 2000.
Information regarding younger children is not available centrally.