Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make an assessment of the merits of the recommendations of the June 2018 report of the Centre for Social Justice, Desperate for a fix: using shop theft and a Second Chance Programme to get tough on the causes of prolific drug-addicted offending.

Drugs can devastate lives, ruin families and damage communities. This Government’s approach to them remains clear - we must prevent drug use in our communities and support people through treatment and recovery.

Our Drug Strategy, published in July 2017, sets out a balanced approach which brings together police, health, community and global partners to tackle the illicit drug trade, protect the most vulnerable and help those with a drug dependency to recover and turn their lives around. We will consider the recommendations contained in the report, Desperate for a Fix: Using shop theft and a Second Chance Programme to get tough on the causes of prolific drug-addicted offending, as part of our ongoing work programme.