Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether he is investing in research into drug testing methodology to identify the presence of synthetic drugs.

Tackling illicit drugs, including potent synthetic opioids, is a priority for the Government and through our 10-year drugs strategy ‘From Harm to Hope’ we are taking action to tackle drug supply and reduce demand.

Through the cross-Government Synthetic Opioids Taskforce, we are working to enhance our drug harms surveillance and early warning system to provide monitoring information on the presence and impact of synthetic opioids or other drug threats to inform our response. This will also include data on detections from drug-checking services as well as state-of-the-art monitoring for the presence of synthetic drugs by analysing wastewater.

The Home Office continues to investigate the market for new technologies that can be used to identify the presence of synthetic drugs.

Ministers are clear that drug testing services must not condone drug use and should only be delivered where licensed and operated responsibly, in line with Government policy to ensure that they discourage drug use and signpost potential users to treatment and support.