Written question asked by Humfrey Malins (Conservative) on Tuesday, 8 January 2008, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 10 January 2008. It was answered by Lord Coaker (Labour) on Wednesday, 16 January 2008 on behalf of the Home Office.

Drugs: Misuse

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will estimate the cost to the criminal justice system associated with the criminal activity of problematic drug users in 2007-08.

Answer: The Home Office is not planning to estimate the cost to the criminal justice system associated with the criminal activity of problematic drug users in 2007-08.A Home Office Research Study, ““The Economic and Social Costs of Class A Drug Use in England and Wales 2003/04””, provided an estimate of the criminal justice costs associated with problem drug users' criminal activity. The total cost to the criminal justice system was estimated to be around £4 billion for the year 2003-04."Source:""““The Economic and Social Costs of Class A Drug Use in England and Wales, 2003/04””, in ““Measuring different aspects of problem drug use: methodological developments”” Chapter 3, Table 3.3, OLR 16/06. This report is available on the Home Office RDS website at: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs06/rdsolr1606.pdf"

Secondary information