Mentions:
1: Andrea Leadsom (Con - South Northamptonshire) That increased investment will boost enforcement surrounding the sale of illicit tobacco and illicit - Speech Link
2: Rachael Maskell (LAB - York Central) That would ensure that the illicit trade is suppressed and does not rear its ugly head and that it is - Speech Link
3: Andrea Leadsom (Con - South Northamptonshire) It conducts a range of illicit vape enforcement activities, including data collection and analysis of - Speech Link
4: Preet Kaur Gill (LAB - Birmingham, Edgbaston) Secondly, as we heard in evidence, there is the matter of illicit tobacco, and often vapes too, being - Speech Link
Jan. 14 2009
Source Page: Consultation paper on the future of tobacco control: consultation report, December 2008. 43 p.Found: Instead, they recommend that better enforcement of existing legislation and control of the illicit trade
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Wood Green)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help tackle the sale of prescription-only drugs to patients without a prescription through illicit websites.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is the regulator in the United Kingdom for human medicines and is responsible for enforcing the Human Medicines Regulations 2012. The MHRA has identified the illegal sale and supply of human medicines as a global challenge. This includes the sale of prescription drugs from unregulated sources. Criminal gangs, often based overseas, advertise medicines through illicit websites resembling those of legitimate pharmacies, while others exploit online marketplaces or sell social media platforms.
The MHRA has a dedicated Criminal Enforcement Unit (CEU) that works with partners across government and policing to prevent and disrupt this illegal trade and to bring to justice those involved. The CEU monitors online channels for evidence of illegal activity and takes proportionate regulatory action. This includes using the full range of the Agency’s powers to investigate and prosecute offenders where necessary and appropriate. The unit also works to remove illegally trading websites and remove criminal profits from offenders. Through its #Fakemeds communications campaign the MHRA also provides quick and easy tools to help the public avoid buying illegally traded medicines when they shop online.
Mentions:
1: Victoria Atkins (Con - Louth and Horncastle) Lady, because the illicit trade is often the greatest in the most deprived areas of the country, and - Speech Link
2: Wes Streeting (Lab - Ilford North) In the press today, the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, the right hon. - Speech Link
3: Craig Whittaker (Con - Calder Valley) The legislation underestimates the scale of the illicit tobacco trade already in the UK and will promote - Speech Link
Found: trade, creating smoke-free public spaces and promoting harm reduction approaches.
Asked by: Baroness Cox (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the link between Boko Haram and Islamic State of West Africa Province in Nigeria's northern states, and perpetrators of violence in Nigeria's central states.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
It is likely that some criminal networks engage in illicit trade, including trading of weapons, with terrorist groups in Nigeria, including in its northern states. This is distinct from intercommunal violence, which occurs particularly in Nigeria's Middle Belt and is driven by lack of economic opportunities, disruption to traditional ways of life created by environmental degradation and historical grievances. Through our UK-Nigeria Security and Defence Partnership, we are working with Nigeria to respond to shared threats and are supporting Nigeria to tackle insecurity and promote human rights.
Asked by: Cameron, Donald (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party - Highlands and Islands)
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to tackle the (a) sale and (b) consumption of drugs in rural communities.
Answered by Constance, Angela - Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs
The Scottish Government is committed to working collaboratively with partners on the Serious Organised Crime Taskforce to reduce the significant harm caused by the illicit drugs trade to communities across Scotland.
We are also rolling out the Medication Assisted Treatment standards, which is a key component of our National Mission to reduce drug deaths and harm. These set out what people should expect from services, improvements to accessing services, choices of treatment options and wrap-around support for the people most at risk from drug harm and drug-related death.
Mentions:
1: Bob Blackman (Con - Harrow East) Scottish legislation is supported by guidance from the Scottish Government and the Government worked with trade - Speech Link
2: Andrea Leadsom (Con - South Northamptonshire) Members who have been a big part in trying to stamp out this horrible trade and its effect on young lives - Speech Link
3: Andrea Leadsom (Con - South Northamptonshire) from the market.To help to tackle illicit vapes, we announced new funding last year to set up an illicit - Speech Link
4: Preet Kaur Gill (LAB - Birmingham, Edgbaston) and trace system for tobacco, which is a useful component in monitoring the flow and patterns in the trade - Speech Link
Asked by: Lord Swire (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the value of the illegal trade in Captagon.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
In December 2021, the Government launched its ten-year drugs strategy, From Harm to Hope, to cut crime and save lives. As part of this, £300 million has been allocated to fund activity to break drug supply chains from end-to-end, this includes restricting upstream flow, securing the UK border, and ensuring we remain agile in the face of changing threats. Further, an additional £780 million will fund the first three years of an ambitious, decade-long transformation of drug treatment and wider recovery support in England.
Specifically, in relation to captagon, the UK remains engaged with likeminded partners and regional states to combat this and is drawing international attention to the issue (for example at the UN Security Council including the most recent meeting on Syria on 30 October).
The UK recognises that the production and smuggling of captagon is a lucrative trade, which provides illicit revenue streams to multiple actors, notably the Asad regime and its supporters . We have not assessed the value of the global captagon market and independent estimates vary significantly.
The National Crime Agency regularly assess the threat posed to the UK by the trafficking of illicit drugs, and currently assess that there is no direct UK facing threat. To date, no instances of captagon being seized at a UK border have been recorded.
Found: The legislation also risks rise of illicit tobacco trade controlled by criminal gangs.