NO SPECIAL TREATMENT FOR SON WHO SOLD HASHISH, BRITISH CABINET MEMBER SAYS

LONDON -- The British Cabinet minister responsible for law enforcement in
Britain was identified yesterday as the father of a teen- ager accused of
selling hashish to a newspaper reporter.

"My son went voluntarily with me to the police. He did not, and should not,
expect any favors from the legal process," Home Secretary Jack Straw said,
after a judge lifted an order barring English newspapers from identifying
the suspect, 17-year-old William Straw.

"He will accept and suffer any sanctions which arise, though of course like
any parents, we stand by him," said Jack Straw, who has a role similar to
that of the U.S. attorney general. Straw has taken a strong stand against
liberalizing drug laws.

On Dec. 24, The Mirror, a mass- circulation London tabloid, published an
article saying that a reporter bought $16.50 worth of hashish from the son
of a Cabinet minister.

Though the younger Straw was not identified by the paper and English law
bars the identification of anyone under 18 facing court charges, his
identity quickly became Britain's worst-kept political secret. Mirror
reporter Dawn Alford said she posed as a real estate agent who was looking
for drugs and purchased slightly less than one-tenth of an ounce. Alford,
30, was charged with possession of hashish. No dates have been set for any
court hearings.

Justice Roger Toulson ruled that the teen's identity could be released
hours after he was identified by newspapers in Scotland, which has a
separate legal system.

Jack Straw has opposed any move to relax laws on marijuana and often has
said that parents need to take greater responsibility for their children's
behavior.

"Of course I was embarrassed by this. I think any parent would be
embarrassed by the information which I was given by the Mirror, " he said
at a news conference. "But it doesn't change my attitude."

Straw said he had no intention of resigning, and Prime Minister Tony
Blair's office said Straw has Blair's full support.