Oral Answers to Questions

James Cartlidge Excerpts

Monday 23rd March 2020 Commons Chamber

[Royston Smith (Southampton, Itchen) (Con)]

11. What steps her Department is taking to dismantle the operations of county lines drugs gangs.

[James Cartlidge (South Suffolk) (Con)]

12. What steps her Department is taking to dismantle the operations of county lines drugs gangs.

[Andrew Jones (Harrogate and Knaresborough) (Con)]

18. What steps her Department is taking to dismantle the operations of county lines drugs gangs.

--- Later in debate ---

[Priti Patel]

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. The use of drugs is simply unacceptable and the fact of the matter is that those who misuse and take drugs should also be aware of the consequences of their actions: children around the country are being trafficked and abused and used by drugs gangs to fuel people’s drug addictions. A great deal of work is taking place across Government on this, including by Dame Carol Black, who did a review of drugs and has provided further evidence on what other measures the Government can bring in, in addition to law enforcement measures.

[James Cartlidge]

I welcome my right hon. Friend’s robust approach to this, but I echo the concerns of my hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Robert Courts). The concern is that with schools closed, children will have more time on their hands and that is a vulnerability. Will she assure us that what we do to encourage online activities and so on for them can be looked at across Departments, so that we reduce the likelihood of this happening?