To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Islington South and Finsbury (Emily Thornbray) of 18 December 2012, Official Report, column 717W, on drugs: prosecutions, if he will provide a breakdown of the data requested by police force for each of the last 10 years or for as many years as possible within the cost constraints of this question.

I have been asked to reply.

The information requested is not available in the form requested but tables containing a breakdown of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) figures by CPS areas have been placed in the Library of the House. Data to support this request are available only from the financial year 2007-08.

Supply and possession of drugs offences are prosecuted under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. The records held by the CPS identify the number of offences in which a prosecution commenced and reached a first hearing in magistrates courts, rather than the number of defendants prosecuted. The tables therefore show the number of offences, rather than defendants, charged for supply and possession offences for the last five complete financial years. Offences for possession with intent to supply have been separated out for clarity. A single defendant may be charged with more than one offence.