Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the evidence presented by BBC Panorama that ketamine is openly advertised for sale on the internet, and delivered to the buyer speedily.

The Government is committed to tackling the supply of illegal drugs, including online, and the harms associated with their misuse.

Our County Lines Programme is targeting exploitative drug-dealing gangs while breaking the organised crime groups behind this trade. Between July 2024 and March 2025, law enforcement activity delivered through the Programme has resulted in more than 1,200 drug dealing lines closed and 2,000 arrests. In parallel, law enforcement agencies continue to target those facilitating the online sale of drugs. The National Crime Agency is working with partners in the UK and internationally to target offenders operating on open and dark-net markets, and to take down UK-based sites committing offences.

In addition, the Government has strengthened the regulatory framework to address online harms. The unlawful sale of controlled drugs online is a priority offence under the illegal content duties in the Online Safety Act 2023 and internet companies are legally required to implement measures to protect their users and to remove illegal content from their platforms, including that related to the sale of illegal drugs. Ofcom, as the independent regulator, is monitoring compliance with the regime.

Finally, the Minister for Policing and Crime Prevention wrote to the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) in January 2025 to request an updated assessment about ketamine, including advice on reducing harms. The ACMD is also reviewing internet-facilitated drugs markets. The Government will consider their advice carefully once received.