Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have assessed the study by James Davies et al Long term Benzodiazepine and Z-drugs use in the UK: A survey of general practice, published in the British Journal of General Practice vol. 67 (662) in May 2017, which found that more than a quarter of a million people in the UK are likely to be taking highly dependency forming hypnotic medication far beyond the recommended timescales.

The Department has commissioned Public Health England to undertake an evidence review to better understand the scope of the problem of prescribed drug dependence. The review will bring together the best available evidence on prevalence and prescribing, the nature and likely causes of dependence or withdrawal among some people who continue to take these medicines and effective prevention and treatment responses for each indication. The study by James Davies et al will be considered as part of this review.