COURTS ARE URGED TO GIVE ADDICTS TOUGHER TERMS

Tougher sentences should be handed out to drug addicts and dealers as
funding to help them is cut.

That's the verdict of magistrate David Horne, who believes it is time
to rethink the way drug addict criminals are dealt with by the courts.

And he has advocated the scrapping of 'useless' drug treatment orders.

His comments come at the same time as a predicted six per cent cut in
the city's drug treatment budget over the next three years.

Portsmouth magistrate Mr Horne, who is also Labour's spokesman for
community safety at the city council, said: 'The court has the power
to give people drug treatment orders but the success rate is pretty
poor and the fall out rate is pretty high.

'There needs to be a new approach.

'The old way isn't working. We need to ask what other countries are
doing. Are they tackling it better? The courts take their lead from
the government. If the law says that you get a 12-month commu nity
order for an offence, that's it. You can't increase it. It's the
government that's got that power. It's something they should be
asking questions about.'

The cash to help drug addicts in the city is looked after by the
Safer Portsmouth Partnership and comes from the Department of Health.

The fund is set to drop from UKP1,499,114 in 2007/8 to UKP1,481,318
in 2008/9. By 2010/11 it could be slashed by six per cent to UKP1,410,132.

But it is hoped extra funding for drug treatment from Portsmouth City
Teaching Primary Care Trust will help off-set any reductions.

Elsewhere in the region pursestrings have been harder hit.

Hampshire's drug treatment budget could fall 83 per cent from
UKP4,904,734 in 2007/8 to UKP4,094,786 in 2010/11.

Councillor Paula Riches, who is in charge of community safety for the
city, is now to write to the Home Office to complain about the drop in funds.