Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of police powers to intercept packages containing items which may be used for (a) self-harm and (b) suicide.

Under the Investigatory Powers Act 2016, law enforcement agencies may apply for a warrant in order to intercept postal content where it is considered necessary and proportionate for the purposes of preventing or detecting serious criminal activity.

There are no provisions which would give the police specific powers to intercept items which may be sent through the post in order to assist in self-harm or suicide.