FISCAL fines for possession of a small amount of soft drugs such as
cannabis are likely to be introduced in Scotland, Scottish Home Affairs
Minister Lord Fraser of Carmyllie has indicated.
Lord Fraser denied the fines, likely to be between #30 and #45,
involved decriminalisation of drug possession, although he anticipated
that if a fine was accepted it would not appear on an individual's
criminal record.
In an interview for the BBC TV Scottish Lobby programme tonight, Lord
Fraser denied that introducing fiscal fines would mean the Government
was going soft on drugs.
What was being suggested was extending the range of fines. In England,
many people caught for the first time with simple possession of cannabis
receive a caution.
Lord Fraser said he expected that if an individual with one fine
already against him for possession were to come before the
procurator-fiscal again for the same offence, he would be prosecuted.
One of the attractions of fiscal fines is that it would relieve the
courts from having to deal with comparatively minor offences, while
providing a warning to offenders that the next time they would not get
off so lightly.
Action on fiscal fines is unlikely to be speedy. A Scottish White
Paper on the current review of various aspects of criminal law may be
published in the autumn but it could be session 1995-96 before
legislation is introduced.
Meanwhile, the Prime Minister has appointed a Minister to act as
co-ordinator in the fight against drug dealing and using.
Mr Tony Newton, Leader of the Commons, has been given the job of
sorting out differences between Whitehall departments on the right
strategy.
Scottish Secretary Ian Lang, whose department runs most of the areas
covered by three English departments, is likely to retain a free hand.
Scotland has a single department which can deal with all aspects of
the drugs problems, which range from the activities of drug barons, to
associated health problems and the education of schoolchildren about the
dangers of drug use.
Mr Major has concluded that in England differences between the Home
Office and the health and education departments are hampering the fight
against drug abuse, while Customs and Excise and other involved agencies
tend to go their own way.
The Government is now devoting #500m to an anti-drugs campaign and Mr
Newton has been asked to devise a blueprint for tackling the problem. He
is expected to announce the first measures in the summer.
* Mr Major yesterday brushed aside accusations that he was a liability
to the Tory Party and proclaimed: ''I am very confident about the future
and I am very confident about the economic future of the country.''
He spoke out as he toured parts of London.
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