Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what guidance his Department provides on the enforcement of offences relating to Category B drugs.

Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)

The police have a range of powers at their disposal to deal with drug-related offences and how police choose to pursue investigations is an operational decision for Chief Constables. However, we are clear that we expect them to enforce the law.

The Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 sets out the penalties related to Class B drugs. Under the Act, possession of a Class B drug can be penalised by up to five years in prison, an unlimited fine or both. Supply or production of a Class B drug can be penalised by up to 14 years in prison, an unlimited fine or both. Where appropriate and proportionate, officers can issue an Out of Court Disposal.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she is taking steps with Cabinet colleagues to help tackle the promotion of illegal body building drugs on (a) TikTok and (b) other social media platforms.

Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)

Specified anabolic steroids, which are associated with bodybuilding, are controlled under Class C of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 and it is an offence to supply these.

The Online Safety Bill will require all tech companies to take robust action against illegal content. Priority offences listed in schedule 7 of the Bill reflect the most serious and prevalent illegal content and activity, against which companies must take measures. This includes the sale of controlled and illegal drugs. Companies will need to take proactive measures to identify and tackle this content on their platforms.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people were convicted of drug-dealing offences in each of the last five years.

Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)

The Ministry of Justice holds data on individuals convicted of drug offences on a principal offence, principal disposal basis, covering the period requested. This is publicly available and can be viewed in Outcomes by Offence tool: 2022.

Information on the number of individuals convicted of drug offences at all courts can be found in the above tool by navigating to the ‘Prosecutions and convictions’ tab. In the ‘Offence’ filter, select the below offences for the main four offences related to drug dealing:

• ‘92A.09 Production, supply and possession with intent to supply a controlled drug - Class A'

• '92A.10 Production, supply and possession with intent to supply a controlled drug - Class B'

• '92A.11 Production, supply and possession with intent to supply a controlled drug - Class C'

• '92A.12 Production, supply and possession with intent to supply a controlled drug - unknown class'

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate he has made of the number of individuals convicted for the supply of (a) drugs, (b) possession of drugs with intent to supply, (c) importation of drugs and (d) drug production in each year since 2010.

Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)

The Ministry of Justice holds data on individuals convicted of drug offences on a principal offence, principal disposal basis, covering the period requested. This is publicly available and can be viewed in Outcomes by Offence tool: 2022.

Information on the number of individuals convicted of drug offences at all courts can be found in the above tool by navigating to the ‘Prosecutions and convictions’ tab and filtering for the desired offences in the offence and HO offence code field.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate he has made of the number of offenders who have been found guilty at all courts for (a) the supply of drugs, (b) possession of drugs with intent to supply, (c) importation of drugs and (d) drug production in each year since 2010.

Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)

The Ministry of Justice holds data on individuals convicted of drug offences on a principal offence, principal disposal basis, covering the period requested. This is publicly available and can be viewed in Outcomes by Offence tool: 2022.

Information on the number of individuals convicted of drug offences at all courts can be found in the above tool by navigating to the ‘Prosecutions and convictions’ tab and filtering for the desired offences in the offence and HO offence code field.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of people with criminal records only have a conviction related to drug offences.

Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office does not hold any information on the proportion of people with criminal records who only have a conviction related to drug offences.

The Ministry of Justice publishes data on the number of convictions for drug offences on a quarterly basis. The most recent publication is available here: Criminal Justice System statistics quarterly: September 2022 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). In year ending September 2022, there were 73,731 convictions for drug offences. However, no information is available on whether or not those convicted of these offences had a previous conviction (either for drug offences or for another type of offence).

Found: They also play an important role in sharing local intelligence about drugs, crime and anti ‑social behaviour

Found: • Staff, in p articular senior management and those based within the Drugs Crime Reduction Unit (

Found: Department of Justice 36 The Drugs/Crime Nexus .

Found: more quickly, and police will soon be able to drug test people arrested for a wider range of illegal drugs

Found: This victim has been failed by everyone and will now probably live a life of drugs, crime and poverty

Found: out a search warrant (likely due to the receipt of intelligence that an individual was involved in drugs

Found: treatment of workers; mobility of workers; movement of persons; co- operation on the fight against illicit drugs