Written question asked by James Clappison (Conservative) on Tuesday, 20 April 1999, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 27 April 1999. It was answered by George Howarth (Labour) on Tuesday, 27 April 1999 on behalf of the Home Office.

Home Office

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate he has made of (a) the number of drug users who are criminally active and (b) the cost of drug-related crime. - Inc ref to 311 c136W.

Answer: Mr. Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of (a) the number of drug users who are criminally active and (b) the cost of drug-related crime. [81982] Mr. George Howarth: As I stated in my reply to the hon. Member for Hertsmere (Mr. Clappison) on 29 April 1998, Official Report, column 136, the information requested on criminally active drug users is not available. A report was published last year of research carried out on behalf of the Home Office by the University of Cambridge, which shed light on the links between drugs and crime. Further work is currently being conducted within this programme. The results of this additional research will be published later this year. At present there are no estimates of the costs of drug-related crime. However, the Home Office is currently working to develop, within the context of the crime reduction programme, an estimate of the cost of crime.

Secondary information