Asked by: Darren Jones (Labour - Bristol North West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help support people addicted to ketamine.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Further to the answer provided on 30 June 2025 in response to Question 61669, the Department is currently reviewing and updating the toolkit it provides to drug treatment services and other stakeholders, which includes information on ketamine-related harms, prevention, treatment, and healthcare system responses, including the importance of referral pathways and joint working to support integrated care.
In 2025, the Department also published a ketamine factsheet for local authority public health teams to cascade to health partners, providing information on the risks associated with ketamine use and supporting frontline professionals to identify problems early, make appropriate referrals, and provide integrated treatment. Finally, the Department is supporting work led by the British Association of Urological Surgeons to improve awareness of ketamine-associated bladder damage among urologists, and strengthen referral and treatment pathways between specialist healthcare services and drug treatment providers.
Asked by: Darren Jones (Labour - Bristol North West)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will bring forward legislative proposals to provide for local authorities to be placed in special measures if they fail to meet the legal deadlines set by the Hazards in Social Housing (Prescribed Requirements) (England) Regulations 2025 to fix severe damp and mould issues raised by their council tenants.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Awaab’s Law forms part of social tenancy agreements, meaning social landlords are legally required to comply with its requirements. Where landlords fail to meet those requirements, tenants can seek redress through the courts for breach of contract. If the court finds a landlord in breach, it may order the landlord to remedy the issue and/or pay compensation. Tenants may also pursue complaints through their landlord’s complaints process and subsequently through the Housing Ombudsman Service.
Asked by: Darren Jones (Labour - Bristol North West)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has made an assessment of the effectiveness of mould fogging, including the longevity of the results; and what guidance her Department provides on whether such treatments fulfil a landlord's obligation under the Hazards in Social Housing (Prescribed Requirements) (England) Regulations 2025 to make properties with damp and mould safe for their tenants.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Awaab’s Law came into force in the social rented sector on 27 October 2025. As a result, all social landlords must repair all emergency hazards within 24 hours and fix dangerous damp and mould within fixed timescales.
It is for individual landlords to determine the most appropriate course of action to make a property safe, taking account of the circumstances in each case and ensuring they are fulfilling their legal obligations.
Awaab’s Law guidance for social landlords can be found on gov.uk here.
Asked by: Darren Jones (Labour - Bristol North West)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has revised the timetable for responding to the report by the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs entitled Ketamine: an updated review of use and harms, published on 28 January 2026.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (‘ACMD’) published its review of the use and harms of ketamine on 28 January. The report provides a detailed assessment of the evidence on harms and trends in use and includes 15 recommendations.
Ministers have been considering the recommendations carefully and will respond to the report as soon as possible. In advance of that, in October 2025 the Department for Health and Social Care launched a campaign to raise awareness among young people about the dangers of ketamine misuse, and law enforcement is taking action against the threat from criminal gangs supplying the drug.