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Home Office

Answer

Mr. Leigh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much was (a) spent and (b) allocated by his Department on tackling problems relating to drugs in respect of (i) improving international co-operation to reduce supplies from abroad, (ii) increasing the effectiveness of police and Customs enforcement, (iii) maintaining effective deterrents and tight domestic controls, (iv) developing prevention publicity, education and community action and (v) improving treatment and rehabilitation in (1) 1997, (2) 1998, (3) 1999 and (4) 2000. [160739] Mr. Charles Clarke: The Home Office is one of a number of Government Departments which spend money to reduce the supply of drugs, to prevent them from being taken, to reduce their harmful effects and to break the link between drugs and crime. Their actions are brought together under the Government's 10-year National Anti-Drugs Strategy launched in May 1998, "Tackling Drugs to Build a Better Britain". While we do not have information to answer all aspects of the question, it is hoped that the following may assist. International Co-operation In each of the financial years 1997-98 to 2000-01, the Home Office spent about £2 million providing specialist training and equipment to overseas law enforcement agencies in countries close to the source of production with the aim of improving their ability to reduce the supply of drugs to the United Kingdom. Additionally we assist in improving international co-operation through the United Kingdom's membership of Europol, the European Union and G8. Effectiveness of Police Enforcement The Home Office is not responsible for Customs and Excise. The total amount spent by police forces in countering the supply of drugs cannot be disaggregated from other expenditure. Domestic Control There are tight legislative controls on the possession and supply of controlled drugs and the maximum available penalties reflect the seriousness of the offences. Supplying Class A drugs carries a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment and an unlimited fine and a third conviction for the supply of a Class A drug carries a minimum period of seven years' imprisonment. For the Home Office, maintaining these controls will involve police (see earlier), probation and prison costs (see later). Its costs last year were some £400,000. Prevention and support of local initiatives Prior to the 1999 establishment of the Drugs Prevention Advisory Service (DPAS) to provide support for local Drug Action Teams, the Drugs Prevention Initiative (DPI) was the vehicle by which the Home Office provided an evidence base for disseminating good practice. The spend during the period 1997 to 2000, covering both organisations, was: £ _________________________________________________________________________________________________. Drug Action Team Arrest referral{ 2} DPI/DPAS grants Research and evaluation development funding{ 1} 1997-98 n/a n/a 1,855,340 382,000 1998-99 n/a n/a 1,725,647 364,223 1999-2000 5,035,000 332,540 246,979 152,098 2000-01 5,817,000 8,707,000 669,532 164,304 _________________________________________________________________________________________________. {1} Funds were previously disbursed by the Department of Health (DH). Earlier information unavailable. Includes 2000-01 additional spend on DH behalf for recruitment of drug workers. {2} £20 million has been allocated for the setting up of arrest referral schemes over the three years up to 2001-02. Treatment and Rehabilitation All spending by probation areas on drug treatment and rehabilitation came out of the general probation grant allocations. There was no hypothecated drug funding. The figures available for actual drug spending relate to expenditure on drug partnerships. _________________________________________________________________________________________________. Drugs Drugs/alcohol{ 1} Drug treatment and testing orders (DTTO) 1997-98 1,852,378 558,378 -- 1998-99 1,903,746 851,899 798,000 1999-2000 n/a n/a 1,000,000 2000-01 n/a n/a 20,000,000 _________________________________________________________________________________________________. {1} Where spending on drugs could not be disaggregated from spending on alcohol The Prison Service allocation on tackling drug misuse was: _________________________________________________________________________________________________. Supply reduction and testing{ 1} Treatment and prevention 1997-98 2,230,000 6,780,000 1998-99 2,230,000 6,780,000 1999-2000 12,195,000 19,390,000 2000-01 12,009,000 23,292,000 _________________________________________________________________________________________________. {1} Includes Headquarters costs Notes: 1. First pilots established in 1998-99 2. Further spend in 1999-2000 to support pilots 3. A further £20 million in 2000-01 4. £2 million was transferred to the Lord Chancellor's Department 5. The rest went to probation areas for national roll out of DTTOs from October 2000.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

368 c333-4W; 160739

Session

2000-01

Subjects

Crime Customs Finance Enforcement Drugs Rehabilitation Research

Contains statistics

Yes

Link

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