Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to prevent the sale of (a) illegal and (b) prescription drugs on dark web marketplaces.

The Government takes seriously the threat from potent synthetic drugs, including synthetic opioids such as nitazenes, and is taking action to disrupt this deadly trade. Reducing drug harms has important benefits for public health and for the Government’s mission to deliver safer streets.

The HMG Synthetic Opioids Taskforce is working with partner agencies such as the National Crime Agency (NCA), the Department for Health and Social Care and the National Police Chiefs Council to deliver an evidence-based response to the level of risk posed by synthetic opioids and implement a range of policies and mitigations to counter the distribution and use of these dangerous substances.

To stem the supply of illicit synthetic opioids to and within the UK, the NCA, Police and Border Force are working together to ensure all lines of enquiry are prioritised and vigorously pursued. This involves mapping and targeting key offenders, including those operating within dark web markets.

Additionally, to support people with drug dependency who may be at risk of synthetic opioid harm, £267 million has been invested in drug and alcohol treatment this year, improving the quality and capacity of drug and alcohol treatment services in England.

The unlawful sale of controlled drugs online is listed as a priority offence in the Online Safety Act, meaning that under this legislation, technology companies must proactively remove this type of content from their platforms and use proportionate systems designed to minimise the risk of users from encountering such content.