Written question asked by Lord Redwood (Conservative) on Tuesday, 10 July 2007, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 12 July 2007. It was answered by Lord Knight of Weymouth (Labour) on Monday, 16 July 2007 on behalf of the Department for Children, Schools and Families.

Pupils: Questionnaires

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the Government's policy is on asking 10-year-olds about drink and drugs in official surveys.

Answer: The Government are committed to reducing substance misuse related harm among young people. We know that some young people begin to experiment with smoking, alcohol and drugs at an early age. We also know that, the earlier they start to use drugs and alcohol frequently, the more likelihood there is of long term harm. Understanding the extent of young people's use of drugs and alcohol at a local level is key to identifying problems early and providing effective prevention.The Tellus survey conducted by Ofsted asks year 6 (age 10) primary school pupils about smoking and alcohol use, but does not ask about illicit drug use until pupils are in secondary school.

Secondary information