MP backs schools drugs test

And he said that if he was a parent with a child at school, he would want to know if the youngster was involved in drug taking.

Mr Lewis's comments come after the Government announced that head teachers are to be given powers to carry out such tests. Civil liberty organisations have condemned the move.

Mr Lewis, the Minister for Education, Young People and Skills, said: "What we are doing is giving headteachers the full range of powers to tackle what we regard as the modern menace of drugs. We think all parents and pupils have the right to expect schools to be drug-free zones.

"Saying this, drug testing is one of the options to heads if they choose to use it. This policy is giving them further powers to tackle the menace of drugs."

"Headteachers who identify drug problems in or close to their schools will know they have got permission to use drug testing as one vehicle in the fight against drugs. I believe the vast majority of parents will welcome this".

Mr Lewis stressed that if a young person was found to be dealing drugs, he would expect that in most cases this would lead to exclusion from school. Those taking drugs, he added, would undergo counselling and education with the aim of getting them off the habit and avoiding a worse situation.

"My view is that if you ask most parents and young people, they would accept that in some circumstances this is a necessary tool available to schools to tackle the drug problem.

"In many ways it is a sad reflection on our society, but it does reflect a genuine concern. There are some schools who are using this already. We are giving headteachers the power to take such action. We are not imposing it".

Mr Lewis concluded: "As a parent, I would want to know if my child was taking any form of drugs. If a headteacher suspected my child, then I'd rather hear it from the school immediately rather than later when the habit got much worse and had a greater impact on that child's life."