Asked by: Norman Baker (Liberal Democrat - Lewes)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the timetable is for implementation of each of the recommendations of her Department's review of new psychoactive substances.
Answered by Baroness Featherstone
In our response to the new psychoactive substances expert panel’s report, published on 30 October 2014, the Government set out a timetable for delivery of a number of the actions we are taking both under the present Parliament and beyond. Some of these have already been delivered. For example, Public Health England (PHE) has already delivered a new toolkit to help local areas to prevent and respond to the use of NPS. Other actions are underway, such as work with key enforcement partners to issue and/or update guidance to further tackle the supply of NPS generally as well as in "headshops". In addition, the Government continues to ensure that the Misuse of Drugs 1971 controls keep pace with the evolving NPS market. This includes controlling MT-45 and 4,4’-DMAR as Class A drugs under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.
Work has begun on developing legislative proposals for a general ban on new psychoactive substances similar to that introduced in Ireland. The Government is moving swiftly so that new legislation is ready to be introduced at the earliest opportunity, notwithstanding the lack of appropriate legislative vehicle in this Parliament. In addition, statutory consultation has been initiated with the ACMD on the legislative proposal to adopt a new definition to ban all synthetic cannabinoids based on their effects on the brain.
Asked by: Norman Baker (Liberal Democrat - Lewes)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps that do not require legislation have been taken by her Department in response to its review of new psychoactive substances since its publication; and what further such steps she plans to take before the end of the present Parliament (a) overall and (b) relating to head shops.
Answered by Baroness Featherstone
In our response to the new psychoactive substances expert panel’s report, published on 30 October 2014, the Government set out a timetable for delivery of a number of the actions we are taking both under the present Parliament and beyond. Some of these have already been delivered. For example, Public Health England (PHE) has already delivered a new toolkit to help local areas to prevent and respond to the use of NPS. Other actions are underway, such as work with key enforcement partners to issue and/or update guidance to further tackle the supply of NPS generally as well as in "headshops". In addition, the Government continues to ensure that the Misuse of Drugs 1971 controls keep pace with the evolving NPS market. This includes controlling MT-45 and 4,4’-DMAR as Class A drugs under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.
Work has begun on developing legislative proposals for a general ban on new psychoactive substances similar to that introduced in Ireland. The Government is moving swiftly so that new legislation is ready to be introduced at the earliest opportunity, notwithstanding the lack of appropriate legislative vehicle in this Parliament. In addition, statutory consultation has been initiated with the ACMD on the legislative proposal to adopt a new definition to ban all synthetic cannabinoids based on their effects on the brain.
Asked by: Norman Baker (Liberal Democrat - Lewes)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 15 December 2014 to Question 217748, what assessment she has made of the implications for UK policy of the comments by William Brownfield on UN drug control conventions; and whether the Government plans to support the policy position expressed in those comments at international forums and the UN General Assembly.
Answered by Baroness Featherstone
The Coalition Government promotes a balanced and evidence-based approach to drug policy within the UN drug control conventions. As Ambassador Brownfield made clear, it is important that the international community respects the
integrity of UN conventions in this area. We will continue to champion our balanced drug strategy, which since 2010 has focused on reducing demand, restricting supply, and building recovery. This includes at international forums, including the forthcoming UN General Assembly Special Session on drugs in 2016.
Asked by: Norman Baker (Liberal Democrat - Lewes)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the comments by US Assistant Secretary of State William Brownfield on 9 October 2014, on the UN drug control conventions, what recent discussions her Department has had with its US counterparts on drug policy.
Answered by Baroness Featherstone
The coalition government has regular conversations with the US Government through a range of bilateral and multilateral forums. We continue to work with the US to promote a modern, balanced and evidence-based international approach to drugs within the UN drug control conventions.
Home Office Ministers have meetings with a wide variety of international partners, as well as organisations and individuals in the public and private sectors, as part of the process of policy development and delivery. Details of these meetings are passed to the Cabinet Office on a quarterly basis and are subsequently published on the Gov.uk website: http://data.gov.uk/dataset/ministerial-data-home-office.