617
Written Answers
8 FEBRUARY 1977
Mr. Hooley asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the extent of illicit traffic and smuggling of drugs into Hong Kong; what quantities of illicit narcotics were found or confiscated in 1974, 1975 and 1976; and how many persons were
those prosecuted in
years for drug offences.
Mr. Luard: The Hong Kong Govern- ment attach a very high priority to the prevention of illicit traffic and smuggling of drugs into Hong Kong, but since Hong Kong is a free port it is not practicable to carry out systematic checks on all cargoes. Precise information on the illicit trade of drugs into Hong Kong is not therefore available, though it is clear that the interception of large-scale ship- ments of drugs in recent years has created acute, if short-lived, shortages in supplies of drugs. The quantities of drugs seized were as follows:
1974 1975 1976
kilos
Osim
4,734
455
3,553
Morphine mixture
323
132
291
Heroin mixare
261
186
154
The number of persons prosecuted was as follows:
1974 1975 1975 18,453 13,865 12,913
Drug Addiction
Mr. Hooley asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how the level of drug addiction in Hong Kong compares with figures for other Asian countries such as Korea, Japan, the Philippines, Burma and Thailand.
Mr. Luard: The exact number of drug addicts in Hong Kong is not known, but has been estimated at between 80,000 and 100,000. The number of drug addicis in certain nearby countries has been estimated as follows:
Thailand
Malaysia
Laos
Singapore
Burma (officially registered)
Similar figures are
500,000
150.000
50,000
12,000
12.000
not immediately
available for Korea, Japan and the Phiappines. The number of persons prosecuted for drug offences in Japan in 1975 was about 10,000.
10 K 10
Written Answers
618
Mr. Hooley asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the estimate of the number of drug addicts in Hong Kong in 1974, 1975 and 1976; and if the trend to addiction is greatest or less than in earlier years.
Mr. Luard: As I have said in answer to another of my hon. Friend's Questions today, the number of drug addicts in Hong Kong has been estimated at be- tween 80,000 and 100,000. It would not be realistic to provide estimates of annual variations within this figure during the past three years. There is no evidence to suggest that the number of drug addicts in Hong Kong is increasing. In fact, there is encouraging evidence that the proportion of young persons taking dangerous drugs has been decreasing. Thus, the proportion of inmates under the age of 21 in the Prisons Department's drug addiction treatment centres has dropped from 25 per cent. in 1969 to 9 per cent. in 1976, the proportion of male patients under the age of 19 admitted for voluntary treatment by the Society for the Aid and Rehabilitation of Drug Addicts has declined from 13 per cent. in 1969 to 4 per cent. in 1976, and the number of persons under the age of 21 currently registered at the Medical
and
Health Department's methadone maintenance and detoxification clinics represents only 25 per cent. of all those registered.
Mr. Hooley asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the annual cost to the Govern- ment of Hong Kong of treatment of drug addicts.
Mr. Luard: The Hong Kong Govern- ment are currently spending approxi- mately SHK 27 million-about £3.5 million-aanually for the treatment of drug addicts.
Government Press Offices, St. James's
Mr. John Moore asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, further to his Answer, Official Report, 2nd February, column 181, how many full-time employees work at the new Government Press Centre at Little St. James Street, London, S.W.1.
Mr. Luard: A permanent custodian and, for the first six months of this year
DATE ..8l2l77
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