Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Ten-year Drugs Plan

Monday 15 January 2024 · 3 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 1 Partly answered 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • The commitments in the drugs strategy are being delivered, including investing over 300 million for more than 50,000 extra treatment places.
  • Over 2,000 county lines have been closed since 2019 and Border Force seized about 19 tonnes of cocaine in the year ending March 2022.
  • The Minister is willing to discuss with the Republic of Ireland to address challenges posed by the open border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 John Penrose Con
Crime & Law Enforcement
Context

The MP inquired about progress on implementing the Government's drug strategy published on December 6, 2021.

Question

What progress has been made by his Department on implementing the Government's 10-year drugs plan “From harm to hope”, published on 6 December 2021?

Answer from Chris Philp

The commitments in the drugs strategy are being delivered, including investing more than £300 million in additional treatment capacity to create over 50,000 extra treatment places. We are also enforcing hard, such as by closing down more than 2,000 county lines since 2019.

Answered
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Q2 John Penrose Con
Crime & Law Enforcement Environment
Context

The MP noted that local police efforts to disrupt drug dealing have been successful, but new dealers quickly replace the old ones. He questioned whether enforcement and education alone are sufficient without addressing underlying legal frameworks.

Question

Local police in and around Weston-super-Mare have had notable successes in disrupting drug dealing and supply, but new dealers quickly take the place of the old ones. The quantity of drugs and the number of addicts are not declining. Does the Minister accept that although enforcement and education are vital, they are not enough to solve this problem on their own, and that the underlying legal frameworks we use to control these dangerous chemicals have to be addressed too?

Answer from Chris Philp

Enforcement is important. Besides closing down those 2,000 county lines, Border Force seized about 19 tonnes of cocaine in the year ending March 2022—the largest amount seized in a single year on record. I have already mentioned treatment. The most important thing is to get people out of their addiction entirely, which is why we are investing so much extra money in treatment. There are no plans to change the legal framework.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Legal frameworks for controlling drugs

How: There Are No Plans To Change The Legal Framework

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Q3 Jim Shannon DUP Strangford
Crime & Law Enforcement Northern Ireland
Context

The MP expressed concerns about escalating drug consumption and movement in Northern Ireland, suggesting that drugs are coming from England and the Republic of Ireland.

Question

We are seeing escalating consumption and movement of drugs in Northern Ireland, and the drugs are coming from England and the Republic of Ireland. What discussions will the Minister have with the Republic of Ireland to ensure that we stop drugs crossing the border? We want to stop them coming from England, too.

Answer from Chris Philp

The hon. Gentleman raises an important point. Of course, one feature of the island of Ireland is that there is essentially no border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, and he has alluded to the various challenges that poses. I would be happy to take up that issue and to see what more we can do to disrupt the supply of drugs north-south and east-west.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific actions or plans with Republic of Ireland

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