We recognise how dangerous synthetic cannabinoids such as those supplied under the brand names ‘spice’ and ‘mamba’, can be and the devastating impact that they can have on communities, families and the individuals taking them. That is why we acted to control these substances as class B drugs under the Misuse of Drugs Act and give the police the powers they need to take action, including making possession illegal and delivering longer sentences for dealers.

More widely, the 2017 Drug Strategy builds on the approach set out in 2010, recognising that while progress has been made, we need to go fur-ther to respond to the evolving threats and challenges that continue to emerge from drug misuse.

We are taking firm action to prevent the harms caused by drugs. Our Drug Strategy sets out a balanced approach which brings together police, health, community and global partners to tackle the illicit drug trade, protect the most vulnerable and help those with a drug dependency to recover and turn their lives around.

I share the hon. Gentleman’s concerns about Mamba and the growth of other elements of drugs. That is why we have introduced a new drugs strategy, to try to help people exit. It involves making sure that local authorities work closely with police, housing and other stakeholder support areas. It is not just about banning, which is important, but about helping people to get off it and to get out and start to live their lives without it.

I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for his question—[Laughter.] Decisions about services and how they are commissioned are made locally, as he well knows. The figures are far from fake; they are independently reported. I would think that he, as a local MP, would actually be praising his local services, because the latest data I have show that people have quick referrals to their service—96% of people who need access to treatment are receiving it within three days. In fact, his local area has a really good track record of engaging with people, and making sure they do not drop out of treatment and get good results from treatment programmes.

Recovery from drug misuse remains at the heart of our approach. More people are recovering from their dependency now than in 2010, and the number of heroin and crack cocaine users in England has continued to fall, with the number going below 300,000 for the first time since 2011. We are developing a new drugs strategy with other Government Departments and key partners, which will be published soon.

Entitlement to employment and support allowance (ESA) is not based on an individual's diagnosis or the nature of their particular disabling condition, but rather on the way that condition limits their ability to function. The work capability assessment assesses the effects of a person's condition on their ability to carry out a number of everyday activities.

In the case of someone with drug or alcohol dependency, needs may arise by way of a physical or mental complication caused by drugs or alcohol. Many people with drug or alcohol dependence have an underlying psychiatric illness. Drug or alcohol dependency does not of itself confer entitlement to incapacity benefits.

Incapacity benefit (IB) and severe disablement allowance (SDA) have been replaced by ESA for new claimants since October 2008 and we are reassessing around 1.5 million old-style incapacity benefits claimants to see if they are fit for work or are eligible for ESA. The full roll-out of the incapacity benefit reassessment exercise began nationally on 4 April 2011 and is expected to be completed by April 2014.

A spreadsheet showing ESA and IB/SDA claimants, in aggregate, with a main disabling condition of either alcoholism or drug abuse, for all parliamentary constituencies, will be placed in the Library.

The available information on those receiving ESA and IB/SDA with a main disabling condition of alcoholism or drug abuse for Bassetlaw parliamentary constituency is given in the following table:

The table shows claimants where alcoholism or drug abuse was recorded as the main health condition so may not include some claimants with a drug or alcohol addiction as well as another more prominent condition.

Entitlement to employment and support allowance (ESA) is not based on an individual's diagnosis or the nature of their particular disabling condition, but rather on the way that condition limits their ability to function. The work capability assessment assesses the effects of a person's condition on their ability to carry out a number of everyday activities.

In the case of someone with drug or alcohol dependency, needs may arise by way of a physical or mental complication caused by drugs or alcohol. Many people with drug or alcohol dependence have an underlying psychiatric illness. Drug or alcohol dependency does not of itself confer entitlement to incapacity benefits.

Incapacity benefit (IB) and severe disablement allowance (SDA) have been replaced by ESA for new claimants since October 2008 and we are reassessing around 1.5 million old-style incapacity benefits claimants to see if they are fit for work or are eligible for ESA. The full roll-out of the incapacity benefit reassessment exercise began nationally on 4 April 2011 and is expected to be completed by April 2014.

A spreadsheet showing ESA and IB/SDA claimants, in aggregate, with a main disabling condition of either alcoholism or drug abuse, for all parliamentary constituencies, will be placed in the Library.

The available information on those receiving ESA and IB/SDA with a main disabling condition of alcoholism or drug abuse for Bassetlaw parliamentary constituency is given in the following table:

The table shows claimants where alcoholism or drug abuse was recorded as the main health condition so may not include some claimants with a drug or alcohol addiction as well as another more prominent condition.

Entitlement to employment and support allowance (ESA) is not based on an individual's diagnosis or the nature of their particular disabling condition, but rather on the way that condition limits their ability to function. The work capability assessment assesses the effects of a person's condition on their ability to carry out a number of everyday activities.

In the case of someone with drug or alcohol dependency, needs may arise by way of a physical or mental complication caused by drugs or alcohol. Many people with drug or alcohol dependence have an underlying psychiatric illness. Drug or alcohol dependency does not of itself confer entitlement to incapacity benefits.

Incapacity benefit (IB) and severe disablement allowance (SDA) have been replaced by ESA for new claimants since October 2008 and we are reassessing around 1.5 million old-style incapacity benefits claimants to see if they are fit for work or are eligible for ESA. The full roll-out of the incapacity benefit reassessment exercise began nationally on 4 April 2011 and is expected to be completed by April 2014.

A spreadsheet showing ESA and IB/SDA claimants, in aggregate, with a main disabling condition of either alcoholism or drug abuse, for all parliamentary constituencies, will be placed in the Library.

The available information on those receiving ESA and IB/SDA with a main disabling condition of alcoholism or drug abuse for Bassetlaw parliamentary constituency is given in the following table:

The table shows claimants where alcoholism or drug abuse was recorded as the main health condition so may not include some claimants with a drug or alcohol addiction as well as another more prominent condition.

[holding answer 18 October 2012]: Information is not collected centrally about the number of users of the drug MCAT (mephedrone) within the criminal justice system. The most recently published data from the National Drug Treatment Monitoring System show that in 2010-11, 461 adults and 411 young people identified MCAT as their principal drug but the data do not record whether a person was within the criminal justice system at the time of treatment.

[holding answer 5 September 2012]: The information requested is not collected centrally.