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Mr. Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the street price of crack cocaine inthe United Kingdom in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [56533]Mr. Bob Ainsworth: [holding answer 21 May 2002]:The National Criminal Intelligence Service collates information on street level prices of drugs. The average prices for `crack'cocaine during the period 1996-2001 are given in the following table.I view the availability of crack cocaine with concern. I have established an expert group on the treatment of crack cocaineaddiction and I am organising a conference to develop more effective solutions to the problems caused by crack cocaine.We are also working to ensure that routes into Britain for crack cocaine are shut down as effectively as possible. The total amountof cocaine (including crack) seized in 2000 rose to an all-time record of 3,970 kilograms, an increase of about one metric tonne onthe previous year.United Kingdom average crack cocaine prices 1996-2001£_________________________________________________________________________________________________.Price{ 1}September 1996 20December 1997 20December 1998 20December 1999 20December 2000 23December 2001 21_________________________________________________________________________________________________.{1} Per rock, equivalent to 0.2 gram Note: These prices are based on average purity levels and do not reflect the fluctuations inprice that may occur within an area as the result of law enforcement action, other interruption of supply, or even over-supply. Inaddition to this, prices can be inflated by `cutting' drugs, and by selling under measures. Source: National Criminal IntelligenceService |