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Written question asked by Evan Harris (Liberal Democrat) on Monday, 8 June 2009, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 10 June 2009. It was answered by Alan Campbell (Labour) on Wednesday, 1 July 2009 on behalf of the Home Office.

Cannabis

Question
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many raids upon cannabis factories have been conducted by each police force in the last three years.
Answer

Data are collected centrally and at police force level on offences related to cannabis production, although no data are collected centrally which relate to the number of raids on cannabis factories. It is, therefore, not possible to provide a response to this question.However, in 2007-08, in recognition of inconsistencies in definitions of the term 'cannabis factory' across police forces, a single definition was agreed and a baseline set for the number of operations against such enterprises. The agreed definition was any premises, whether commercial or residential, where the premises, or part therein, has been adapted to such an extent that normal usage would be inhibited and usually present within the premises, or part therein, are items solely concerned for the production of cannabis, i.e."Hydroponics system""High intensity lighting""Ventilation/extractor fans""Any other affiliated equipment, and/or""Electricity meter bypassed (abstraction of electricity)."The total number of premises meeting this definition recorded in 2007-08 was 3,033. Results by police force are set out in the table. More recent data are not yet available and, as 2007-08 was the baseline year, it is not possible to provide data at a national level for the last three years.

Cannabis factories recorded 1 April 2007 to 31 March 2008
Number
Avon and Somerset 207
Bedfordshire 17
BTP 8
Cambridgeshire 112
Central Scotland 1
Cheshire 21
Cleveland 43
Cumbria 11
Derbyshire 53
Devon and Cornwall 19
Dorset 28
Dumfries and Galloway 0
Durham 7
Dyfed-Powys 41
Essex 68
Fife 1
Gloucestershire 4
GMP 227
Grampian 9
Gwent 42
Hampshire 37
Hertfordshire 70
Humberside 18
Kent 73
Lancashire 123
Leicestershire 75
Lincolnshire 49
Lothian and Borders 4
Merseyside 118
Met 289
Norfolk 44
North Wales 31
North Yorkshire 11
Northamptonshire 27
Northern Constabulary 0
Northumbria 38
Nottinghamshire 55
PSNI 4
South Wales 73
South Yorkshire 54
Staffordshire 51
Strathclyde 30
Suffolk 22
Surrey 12
Sussex 37
Tayside 7
Thames Valley 110
Warwickshire 48
West Mercia 18
West Midlands 203
West Yorkshire 368
Wiltshire 14

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
495 c270-1W; 278933
Session
2008-09
Subjects
Cannabis
Contains statistics
Yes
Link
View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk