HOUSE OF COMMONS HOME AFFAIRS COMMITTEE 7 MILLBANK LONDON SW1P 3JA THE GOVERNMENT'S DRUGS POLICY: IS IT WORKING? PRESS NOTICE 24 July 2001

The Home Affairs Committee has decided to undertake its first major inquiry of the new parliament with the following terms of reference:

The Committee expects to address these issues among others: - Does existing drugs policy work? - What would be the effect of decriminalisation on

(a) the availability of and demand for drugs
(b) drug-related deaths and
(c) crime?

Is decriminalisation desirable and, if not, what are the practical alternatives?

The inquiry will also examine the effectiveness of the ten year National Strategy on drug misuse launched in 1998 and the preliminary results of the three year research programme costing £6 million started in 1999/2000. It will look at the revised role of the UK Anti-drugs Co-ordinator and assess the effectiveness of Drug Treatment and Testing Orders (DTTOs).

The Committee will take into account the publication in March 2000 of the Police Foundation's Report Drugs and the Law (Report of an Independent Inquiry into the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 chaired by Dame Ruth Runciman), the oral evidence taken by the Committee on 8 June 2000 (HC561) and the Government response published in February 2001 (Second Special Report 2000-01 HC 226).

Organisations and individuals wishing to submit written evidence are invited to do so no later than FRIDAY 28 SEPTEMBER.

Oral evidence will be taken in November.

Further details of the programme will be announced in October. (For details about sending evidence see below)

Evidence to the inquiry on drugs

The Committee would welcome the submission of written evidence from anyone with experience and knowledge in this field. Evidence should be submitted in the form of a self-contained memorandum with numbered paragraphs, not exceeding 1,000 words in length. The memorandum should concentrate on the main two or three points you wish to make. It should give the name and address of the person sending the memorandum and should state whether it has been prepared specifically for this inquiry. If the memorandum is from an organisation rather than an individual, it should briefly explain the nature and membership of the organisation.

Submissions should be sent - either via email, on disk, or in paper form - to the Second Clerk of the Committee at House of Commons, 7 Millbank, London, SW1P 3JA or at homeaffcom@parliament.uk. Electronic submissions should be in WordPerfect, Word or rich text format and if possible should avoid use of colour or complicated layouts which may be difficult to download. All memoranda received in this way will be taken into account by the Committee in its inquiry. If sending material electronically, please make sure you include your name and postal address.

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