Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will list the meetings scheduled for the working group on any new issues involving research with controlled drugs during the next six months.

On 16 July, the Government responded to recommendations from the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (‘ACMD’) on how best to reduce barriers to clinical research with Schedule 1 drugs. The Government committed to set up a cross-government working group of officials to assist with delivery of those recommendations.

The group had its first meeting in September, followed by a series of bilateral discussions between Home Office officials and the organisations represented on the working group. The next meeting is planned for January. Alongside the working group, officials have ongoing engagement with relevant officials in wider departments and agencies, and with businesses, representative organisations and researchers who are likely to benefit from the proposals. Officials have also explored with international counterparts the provisions for research with controlled drugs in their jurisdictions.