asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will provide additional resources to enable the plan submitted by the Association of Chief Police Officers for tackling the problem of drug trafficking to be implemented.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to a question from the hon. Member for Erith and Crayford (Mr. Evennett) on 18 July. Police authority expenditure on recruiting the additonal officers will attract police grant in the usual way; to mark the importance the Government attach to this initiative it is ready to disregard their share of this extra expenditure for grant penalty purposes.