851
Narcotics:
[LORDS]
[Baroness Birk.] concerned in the trade"; but we are satisfied that, in the circumstances, as much as is possible is being done.
Lord PAGET of NORTHAMPTON: My Lords, is not the position here that drugs are very light, very small and very valuable, and that anybody can walk through Customs carrying £100,000 worth of drugs without his pockets bulging, which makes the position almost impos- sible from the point of view of the Customs officials; that in fact one finds drugs only when one has received a tip-off that they are being brought by somebody, and that that tip off normally comes from a rival illegal organisation?
Baroness BIRK: Yes, my Lords, that is true to some extent, but there is also a great deal more spot-checking than there has been in the past, and the detection methods have been stepped up as the "trade has been stepped up. Again, perhaps, I could leave it at that.
"1
Lord ELTON: My Lords, is the noble Baroness aware that, while it is very gratifying that this was the product of a spot-check, it is disturbing to hear her talking about staff reductions in the con- text of increased drug addiction? Is she satisfied that the maximum is being done to keep this lethal and corrupting substance out of the country, in particular by means of getting information from the countries of origin? Will the noble Baroness confirm that the ship in question came from the Far East, and particularly, from Bangkok via Singapore? Are our links of information there sufficient ?—because I believe that in that part of the world there is a better network of information than in any other and we should like to see it used.
Baroness BIRK: My Lords, this is again a widening of the Question. The ship was a container en route to Holland. They forgot to tell me where she came from. I have no doubt that it was from the Far East. My noble friend's point about the tip-offs is true; but again the amount of spot-checking makes a great deal of difference. It is true that there are staff cuts right across the board, but in this particular section of Customs and Excise they are really being spread very thinly across the whole staff and, we feel,
Illegal Importation
852
are being more than compensated by rationalisation of method and improvement in effectiveness. I do not think there is much more I can say about this, whatever further questions are asked.
Baroness EMMET of AMBERLEY: My Lords, in spite of her last remark, may I ask the Minister whether any effort has been made by Customs and Excise to enlist the help of sailing clubs along the coast? We are, naturally, a vulnerable country in this respect with so many craft going backwards and forwards across the Channel. I think the Customs and Excise have done a wonderful job, but I should have thought that there might be an effort made to enlist the services of local clubs to help them.
Baroness BIRK: My Lords, it is a difficult point. I do not know in what way the noble Baroness would intend to utilise such help. If she is thinking in terms of vigilantes, there are a great many problems there. It is possible that some of the tip-offs to which my noble friend referred are from the sailing clubs; but beyond that, I think it would be quite
wrong to go.
REPRESENTATION OF THE PEOPLE (AMENDMENT) BILL (H.L.]
3.2 p.m.
853
Représentat country did not the direct electi This Bill imple dom the Decisi
My Lords, one would expe to be introduc the day. But normal. The S another place European Asse drew attention place between proposal to set the tabling of th House. In
In th remarked on th arranging for th The Select C view that if th were to comple first enabling B Assent by the when no such 1
and when we that British fai tions in time m taking place a ties, that my n
to use our best
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a Bill of our o
Lord BANKS: My Lords, I beg to. move that this Bill be now read a second time. The Bill amends the Representation of the People Act 1949 so as to provide for the direct election of the United Kingdom Members of the Parliament of the European Communities. A Decision and an Act concerning the provisions. for holding direct elections were both signed by the Council of Ministers on the 20th September, 1976. The Preamble to the Decision indicates that it is intended to give effect to the conclusion of the European Council in Rome on 1st and 2nd December, 1975, that the election of the Assembly should be held within the period May to June 1978. The Act will come into force after all the Member States have! notified the completion of the procedures necessary in accordance with their res- pective constitutional requirements. would, therefore, appear that if one
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be humiliating Parliaments, w country which to prepare for democracy.
The delay w it seem almost time to make ti required by t electoral syste encies would n 635 existing V There are end and each com one Party or ar consuming pro the "first past exaggerate swi stituencies so main, to appr than the smalle to the nationa Party topping of direct electi the pool.
It has been climate of op