Asked by: Crispin Blunt (Independent - Reigate)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to increase the level of research into the use of psilocybin for the treatment of (a) depression, (b) addiction and (c) other chronic conditions on health inequalities; and if he will take steps to fund research into the use of psilocybin.
Answered by Will Quince
The Department commissions research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), who have invested £1.1 million in a randomised controlled trial to examine if it is feasible, safe and effective to use psilocybin to treat people with treatment-resistant depression. NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including the use of psilocybin in the treatment of depression, addiction and other chronic conditions. Applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money and scientific quality.
NIHR infrastructure is supporting psilocybin research via the NIHR King’s Clinical Research Facility and the NIHR Maudsley Biomedical Research Centre where researchers are developing and evaluating the efficacy and safety of psilocybin therapy for use in the National Health Service and other healthcare settings.
Asked by: Crispin Blunt (Independent - Reigate)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of psilocybin on the (a) health and (b) ability to work of people with long term health conditions; and whether his Department is taking steps to support research into these areas.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
No assessment has been made by the Department for Work and Pensions of the potential impact of psilocybin on the health, or ability to work, of disabled people and people with long-term health conditions.
The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), funded by the Department of Health and Social Care, welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health. This includes the potential impact of psilocybin on the health and ability to work of people with long-term health conditions. Applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money and scientific quality.
Asked by: Crispin Blunt (Independent - Reigate)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he plans to publish the LGBT Veterans Independent Review.
Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The Ministry of Defence and the Office for Veterans' Affairs jointly commissioned the independent review to better understand the impacts and implications of the pre-2000 policy relating to LGBT people serving in HM Armed Forces. The review underlines Defence's unwavering commitment to understanding how best to support its veteran and LGBT community.
Lord Etherton recently concluded his independent review and submitted his report and recommendations to the Secretary of State for Defence and the Minister for Veterans' Affairs in the Cabinet Office. The Government will now consider the report and recommendations and decide which Departments are best placed to take action. Defence is committed to publishing the report and responding in full in due course after giving the report due consideration, as per the terms of reference.
Asked by: Crispin Blunt (Independent - Reigate)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the requirement for drug testing charities to obtain licenses from her Department for back of house drug testing in the presence of police officers, for what reason (a) her Department's policy has changed and (b) charities were not given advance notice; if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of (i) waving the fee for applications for such licences and (ii) expediting those applications; and if she will commission the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs to review this area of policy and make recommendations.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
Home Office policy on drug testing has not changed. It is a long-established legal requirement, under the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001, that a controlled drugs licence is needed to lawfully undertake activities including the possession, supply or production of controlled drugs.
We have been clear that organisations providing drug testing services need to apply for a Home Office licence where they are undertaking activities with controlled drugs.
The Home Office has not received any licence applications from organisations wanting to provide drug testing services at festivals this year. The Government’s guidance on applying for a controlled drug licence sets out the timelines required for the Home Office to consider an application. These timelines enable the Home Office to fulfil its legislative duties and its international obligations under the United Nations Drug Conventions. Similarly, fees for licence applications are set out in statute and are applied universally to prospective licensees.
The Home Office has no plans to commission the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs to review drug testing.
Asked by: Crispin Blunt (Independent - Reigate)
Question
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what assessment her Department have made of the potential merits of banning conversion therapy for trans people; and if she will make a statement on the conversion therapy ban.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
There is clear evidence associating conversion practices with a range of significant harms. The Government remains committed to protecting everyone from these abhorrent practices, including those who are targeted on the basis of being transgender. We will shortly publish a draft Bill and consultation response setting out our approach. The draft legislation will go for pre-legislative scrutiny by a Joint Committee in this parliamentary session.
Asked by: Crispin Blunt (Independent - Reigate)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 8 June to Question 187573 on Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs, whether she is taking steps to increase transparency in the functioning of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs, and whether her Department has received copies of the minutes of the Council since May 2013.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) is an independent Non-Departmental Public Body, sponsored by the Home Office.
The operation of the Council is a matter for the ACMD, although my Department is aware that the ACMD follows and continues to develop its own standard operating procedure for using evidence in its reports.
The ACMD routinely publish their reports which can be found on Gov.uk.
Asked by: Crispin Blunt (Independent - Reigate)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs' Part 2 report on Barriers to Research commission, published 12th December 2022, when her Department received a draft copy of the report; when she expects the final document to be published; and for what reasons her Department received an advance draft copy.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office has not received an advance draft of the ACMD’s barriers to research – part 2 report. I look forward to receiving the ACMD’s advice on this important topic.
Asked by: Crispin Blunt (Independent - Reigate)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to help ensure that the deletion in 2010 of disciplinary records relating to the ban on homosexuality will not adversely affect eligibility for any future compensation scheme.
Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
Defence and the Office for Veterans’ Affairs jointly commissioned an independent review into the service and experience of LGBT veterans who served in the Armed Forces between 1967 and 2000. The review underlines Defence’s unwavering commitment to understanding how best to support its veteran and LGBT community.
The questions of financial compensation and other corrective and restorative measures were included in the scope of the LGBT Veterans Independent Review.
Defence is grateful to Lord Etherton for his work on this important review. We deeply regret the past treatment of LGBT personnel in the Armed Forces and thank those that have come forward. The Government is considering the recommendations of the review and will respond in due course.
Asked by: Crispin Blunt (Independent - Reigate)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how her Department plans to assess the impact of controlling nitrous oxide as a Class C drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971; and what estimate she has made of the cost of this policy to the public purse in the next five years.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government will conduct a full Impact Assessment before implementing control of nitrous oxide. This will include consideration of the impact control will have on levels of nitrous oxide misuse, as well as the impact control will have on businesses with legitimate requirements for nitrous oxide, the public sector, and other identified groups. This will examine the cost over a 10-year appraisal period and will be published on the GOV.UK website.
It is not our intention to hinder or place undue burden on those who wish to use nitrous oxide for legitimate purposes or to unduly impact businesses. To support our understanding of the uses of nitrous oxide and how best to exempt legitimate use, the Government published a consultation - Nitrous oxide: legitimate uses and appropriate controls - which seeks views from organisations and people who use, or might wish to use, nitrous oxide in the future for legitimate purposes. The consultation runs until 27 June and is available on the GOV.UK website.
Asked by: Crispin Blunt (Independent - Reigate)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, for what reasons the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs has not posted meeting minutes on its website since 16 May 2013; and if she will ask the Council to provide copies of those minutes.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
As the ACMD is a Non-Departmental Public Body (NDPB), sponsored by the Home Office, its operation and working practice is a matter for the ACMD.