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Drugs: Sentencing

Answer

Data showing the number of defendants proceeded against, found guilty, fined and imprisoned for supplying or offering to supply and having possession with intent to supply amphetamines or class B drugs in England and Wales from 2002 to 2006 are in the following table.Prior to 18 January 2007 the possession with intent to supply and the supply of crystal meth ““Methylamphetamine”” were included with other class B drug offences. From that date Methylamphetamine was reclassified from a class B drug to a class A drug.Data for 2007 will be available in the autumn of 2008.

Number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts, found guilty, fined and imprisoned for selected offences¹ relating to crystal meths, England and Wales, 2002 to 2006², ³
	Proceeded against	Found guilty	Fined	Immediate custody
2002	594	366	28	174
2003	553	402	19	201
2004	511	421	19	202
2005	461	378	16	180
2006	433	384	5	170
¹ The following offences and statutes have been used: Supplying or offering to supply a controlled drug (or being concerned in): Amphetamine—Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 Sec 4(3) [Class 'B' Drug]. Supplying or offering to supply a controlled drug(or being concerned in): Other Class 'B'—Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 Sec 4(3) [Class 'B' Drug]. Having possession of a controlled drug with intent to supply: Amphetamine—Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 Sec 5(3) [Class 'B' Drug]. Having possession of a controlled drug with intent to supply: Other Class 'B'—Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 Sec 5(3) [Class 'B' Drug]. ² These data are on the principal offence basis. ³ Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

474 c52W; 195447

Session

2007-08

Subjects

Drugs Prosecutions Sentencing Methamphetamine

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk