RANDOM DRUG TESTING IN SCHOOLS

Early day motion 649, tabled 23 February 2004 by Hilton Dawson (Labour). Signed by 17 members.

That this House considers it wholly contradictory and inconsistent for a Government which has expressed great commitment to increasing the participation of children and young people in the decisions which affect their own lives to nevertheless declare that it will introduce the intrusive, demeaning and disrespectful policy of random drug testing into schools without any discussion or consultation with children and young people themselves; and urges the Prime Minister to meet with children's commissioners for Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland and with child-led organisations such as UK Youth Parliament, A National Voice and Article 12 as a matter of urgency to explain the purpose of the new policy and to help them understand why this is not being similarly and universally applied to adults who drive, operate machinery and make decisions affecting the lives of others.

Signatures by party: Labour 12, Liberal Democrat 4, UUP 1.