Question to the Home Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the letter from the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs to the Minister of State for Crime, Policing and the Fire Service and the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Prevention, Public Health and Primary Care on 18 October 2019, what plans they have to amend the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001 to enable paramedics (1) to prescribe, and (2) to administer, the drugs specified by NHS England.

The Government is considering the advice provided by the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs on the independent prescribing and administration of specified controlled drugs by paramedics and intends to respond in the near future.

The Home Office works closely with the Department of Health and Social Care on issues concerning the use of controlled drugs in healthcare, and this timescale reflects the balance of priorities within Government, in particular in addressing COVID-19. The response will be published on gov.uk.