David Ruffley MP has today released new House of Commons figures obtained during his questioning of Vernon Coaker MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary at the Home Office.

David's question revealed that the number of recorded drug offences in Suffolk has gone up for the fourth year in a row.

In 2005/06 there were 2,015 recorded drug offences in Suffolk. This is

40 percent more than in Cambridgeshire and 10 percent more than in Norfolk.

Although the method of recording drug offences has changed since 1997 there has still been an increase of 19 percent in Suffolk drug offences since 2002 when the latest recording standard was introduced.

David has taken the matter up with Alastair McWhirter, the Chief Constable of Suffolk Constabulary, and asked for his explanation for this alarming rise.

David said:

'Since 2002 recorded drug offences in Suffolk have gone up by a fifth. To make matters worse we in Suffolk have 40 percent more drug crime than in neighbouring Cambridgeshire and 10 percent more than Norfolk.

'These are some deeply troubling figures and local people in Suffolk deserve to know why we suffer from more drug crime than elsewhere in East Anglia.

'It is clear from the answer the Minister gave me that drug crime is on the rise across the Eastern Region and that this Government is losing the war against drugs.

'I have taken the matter up with the Chief Constable of Suffolk Constabulary, Alastair McWhirter, and asked for his explanation for these figures and what steps he believes are necessary to clamp down on this apparent drug problem in our county.'