Written question asked by Linda Gilroy (Labour) on Tuesday, 29 January 2002, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 12 February 2002. It was answered by Baroness Hughes of Stretford (Labour) on Tuesday, 12 February 2002 on behalf of the Home Office.

Home Office

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what contribution he plans that coroners' courts will make to drug awareness progammes.

Answer: Linda Gilroy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what contribution he plans that coroners' courts will make to drug awareness programmes. [32369] Beverley Hughes: Data from inquest cases can assist in providing a firm baseline for measuring the effectiveness of drug prevention strategies. The Government action plan to prevent drug-related deaths, announced last November, undertook to increase information from coroners' reports and to provide best practice guidance and training to coroners by March 2003. Media reporting of inquests into drug-related deaths can bring home to the public the dangers involved in misusing drugs. At least one coroner has sought to encourage senior school children to attend such inquest hearings.

Secondary information