NEW MPs REVEAL THEIR MEMBERSHIP OF THE DRUG GENERATION

Stewart Tendler on a challenge to Straw from the politicians who admit inhaling

JACK STRAW ruled out a royal commission into drug control yesterday in
spite of evidence that some new MPs would support a review of drugs
legislation. Eighteen admitted using drugs in the past.

The Home Secretary said a royal commission would be needed only if the
Government was uncertain about what to do. However, Mr Straw said the
Government would look at anything discovered by inquiries being carried out
by a Lords select committee and the Police Foundation.

Mr Straw, whose 17-year-old son was recently cautioned by London police for
selling cannabis, was commenting on a survey for London Weekend
Television's Jonathan Dimbleby programme yesterday. Questionnaires were
sent to all 243 of last May's new intake of MPs.

Out of 81 who responded, 22 per cent admitted they had used illegal drugs,
64 per cent said that friends or associates had used drugs, 65 per cent
said they would welcome a commission and 51 per cent said they believed
that the current laws on cannabis were "too harsh". David Prior, the new
Conservative MP for North Norfolk, disclosed yesterday that he had smoked
cannabis in his 20s and believed the law could no longer be consistently
enforced.

Mr Prior, son of Lord Prior, the former Secretary of State for Northern
Ireland, said: "I did inhale. You can wear a pinstripe suit, be utterly
conventional, and still roll a joint." He emphasised that he had a
"completely open mind" on the issue of decriminalisation but said it should
be looked at by a royal commission.

Mr Straw, speaking on Radio 4's The World This Weekend, said that he did
not accept the argument that decriminalisation of cannabis would break the
progression of drug users from soft to hard drugs. He said that had not
happened in Holland, and drugs wars meant that Amsterdam's murder rate was
three times that of London.

The Home Secretary said it was right to have different penalties for soft
and hard drugs: "I've not seen any good reason for decriminilisation but
plenty against it. If you decriminalised these drugs there would be a
massive increase in consumption. The evidence is that we are stabilising
consumption."

In a wide-ranging interview, the Home Secretary also rebuffed calls by the
Lord Chief Justice, Lord Bingham of Cornhill, to end mandatory life
sentences for murder. Lord Bingham had said that allowing politicians to
set release dates flew in the face of democracy and justice. Mr Straw said
that giving Home Secretaries the final decision in fact put the public at
less risk that leaving the decision to the Parole Board. Evidence showed
that if the Parole Board had the sole power, the risk of reoffending would
be tripled, he said.

In the case of discretionary life sentences for rape, manslaughter and
arson, the final decision lay with the Parole Board and 26 per cent of
offenders were recalled to prison. In cases where Home Secretaries had the
final decision, the reoffending rate was 8 per cent.