Clause 1 - Closure notice
Anti-social Behaviour Bill
12:00 pm
Mr Nick Hawkins (Surrey Heath, Conservative)
We have had a useful debate, and one of the many useful contributions was made by the hon. Member for Gedling from the Government Back Benches. He was kind enough apologise for having to leave early because of another commitment, but I know that he will read Hansard to discover the response to what he and others said.
It is important that Government Back Benchers support what I and my hon. Friends the Members for South-East Cambridgeshire and for Rayleigh say, because it must surely give the Minister second thoughts. As all hon. Members, including the hon. Member for Gedling, have experienced antisocial behaviour in their constituencies in premises where class B and class C drugs are being used, it seems to us that those powers would be useful also to deal with that. We do not suggest that they should be used on every occasion, but that they would represent an extra weapon in the police's armoury.
One of the few contributions to the debate that I thought was particularly unwise was that of the hon. Member for Ludlow, speaking for the Liberal Democrats. He said that his initial reaction was that we could return to the issue in a few years' time if it proves necessary to extend the powers to class B and
class C drugs. However, there may not be another opportunity.
The Bill provides a vehicle for us to give the police discretionary powers. They do not have to be used on every occasion. We should take this opportunity and, if it turns out that the powers are needed, as many on both sides of the Committee believe they will be, the police will have that weapon to hand. The powers will be included in legislation; the police will not have to use them, but they can choose to do so.
That would be a far more sensible way of proceeding than doing as the Liberal Democrats suggest. However, there seems to be a big difference of view between them. The hon. Member for Mid-Dorset and North Poole said that she had her own views but would not tell us what they were, and she clearly does not agree with some of her hon. Friends, or with some of the things said at her party's conference. No doubt we can explore those divisions further as the Committee proceeds.
The Liberal Democrats' position is that although the powers might be needed, we should not give the police such a discretion now, but wait for another opportunity in a few years' time. However, we three Conservative Members believe, as does the hon. Member for Gedling, that it would be far more sensible for the powers to be added to the Bill. That will not undermine what the Minister wants. As he goes around the country, police forces and others involved in the drugs field tell him that crack cocaine produces extra problems. I am sure that that is so. We have all experienced it, particularly those of us who have had responsibility for drugs issues, but that does not mean that we should not provide the powers so that they are in the police's armoury to be used when necessary. I have experienced huge amounts of antisocial behaviour in different parts of the country arising from the dealing of drugs other than class A.
I shall give the Minister just one example of a problem that occurs in our tourist resorts. I have discussed this with some of my hon. Friends, including my hon. Friend the Member for Eastbourne (Mr. Waterson). If one bed and breakfast in a street of bed and breakfasts goes bankrupt, it might become a DSS hostel, as it is described in the trade, or it might be taken over by drug dealers, or perhaps both. That immediately affects the trade of the legitimate establishments in the rest of the road. The bad drives out the good. The Minister will probably realise as he goes around the country that this is the case in just about every tourist resort. I hope that he will keep the matter in mind. I know that he takes these issues seriously. I am sure that he has listened to the hon. Member for Gedling as well as to others who have spoken in this important debate. I hope that the Government decide in the end that it would be useful for the powers to be available. They need not be used very often.
Finally, I should like to correct a particularly unwise statement made, sadly, by the hon. Member for Ludlow. He said that people who are taking only cannabis are simply quiescent and soporific. If he looks at the medical evidence that has been highlighted in recent weeks, he will see that the propensity to suffer
from schizophrenia is hugely increased by cannabis, particularly if large quantities of stronger types of cannabis are used over a lengthy period. We have all had experience in our constituency surgeries of people who become violent and aggressive because they suffer from schizophrenia. That is one of the reasons why I take a strong view, which differs from the Government's view, about the powers that we need in relation to cannabis. I see no good reason why, when we are trying to control antisocial behaviour, we should not take the opportunity to extend this to class B or class C drugs. We shall therefore press the amendment to a Division.
Question put, That the amendment be made:—
The Committee divided: Ayes 3, Noes 11.