Sabin Mike: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeSabin Mike: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 27 May 2014. Volume:699;Page:18304. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]4.MIKE SABIN (National—Northland) to theMinister of Police: What steps is the Government taking to reduce the harm caused by methamphetamine in New Zealand?Mr SPEAKER: I inform the House my office has been advised that this answer may be somewhat longer than normal.Hon ANNE TOLLEY (Minister of Police): Yesterday the Prime Minister announced over $6 million worth of new initiatives to continue reducing the supply and demand of methamphetamine in New Zealand. This funding part of the Government’s Methamphetamine Action Plan will be used by Government agencies to target the drug trade and to help those affected by it to get the help they need. Over $3.8 million has been allocated to the police to target organised crime and drug syndicates and fund legal costs for civil actions to recover proceeds of crime. Health will receive $1.8 million to double existing support for mothers of young children and pregnant women who have alcohol and drug issues. Corrections will receive $300000 to help offenders with alcohol or drug issues to reintegrate back into the community and $105000 has been provided to justice to further support offenders seeking treatment through the alcohol and other drug treatment court. These initiatives are important steps that will help police fight organised crime dealing methamphetamine and will ensure that addicts get the treatment that they need.Mike Sabin: How are these new initiatives being funded from those who profit from the drug trade?Hon ANNE TOLLEY: Funding for all of the initiatives announced by the Prime Minister yesterday is from money recovered under the Criminal Proceeds (Recovery) Act. As part of the Government’s Methamphetamine Action Plan we committed to using the money recovered from criminals who profit from the drug trade to fund actions against them and to help those affected by them to get addiction treatment. Since the Act came into force in 2009 the police have obtained forfeiture orders for assets worth approximately $38 million over half of which were related to methamphetamine offences. Since November 2013 over $10 million has been allocated from the proceeds of crime to increase residential alcohol and drug treatment enhance front-line screening at the border train drug dogs to detect large amounts of cash and fund the establishment of a police attaché officer in China.Mike Sabin: What results has the Government seen from the Methamphetamine Action Plan?Hon ANNE TOLLEY: The plan aims to reduce the demand and supply of methamphetamine in New Zealand. The latest progress report shows that the price purity and availability of methamphetamine remain high. The average price of a gram of methamphetamine increased from $678 in 2012 to $684 in 2013 indicating a possible scarcity in supply. The report also shows that since 2004 more offenders are receiving drug and alcohol assessments as a condition of their sentence up from 5percent in 2004 to 20 percent in 2013. In addition since 2008 there has been a 1500 percent increase in the number of drug and alcohol treatment places in our prisons. The plan is hitting criminals where it hurts reducing the supply and demand for methamphetamine and then using their illegal profits to disrupt the market.