Written question asked by David Ruffley (Conservative) on Tuesday, 18 December 2007, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 7 January 2008. It was answered by Lord Coaker (Labour) on Monday, 21 January 2008 on behalf of the Home Office.

Arrests: Drugs

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been tested for illegal drug use who have been arrested on suspicion of other non-drug related crimes; and how many of those tested positive for illegal drug use in (a) England and Wales and (b) broken down by police force area in each year since 1997.

Answer: Since 2003 drug testing of offenders for specified Class A drugs in police custody has operated as part of the Drug Interventions Programme.The police currently have the power to request persons aged 18 and over in police detention who have been charged or arrested with a "trigger offence", to provide a sample for testing for the presence of a specified Class A drug. Drug testing can be conducted only for offences where there is a substantial link to the use of heroin or cocaine/crack.The trigger offences are set out in Schedule 6 to the Criminal Justice and Court Services Act 2000. These are the offences which have been shown to have the clearest link with drug misuse, particularly the misuse of heroin and cocaine/crack.A person arrested or charged with a non trigger offence may be tested if a police officer decides that there are reasonable grounds to suspect that Class A drug use caused or contributed to the offence. The decision to authorise a sample must be referred to a police officer of at least the rank of Inspector.Given the framework above, the data requested is not available.

Secondary information