Asked by: Crispin Blunt (Independent - Reigate)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the requirement for drug testing charities to obtain licenses from her Department for back of house drug testing in the presence of police officers, for what reason (a) her Department's policy has changed and (b) charities were not given advance notice; if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of (i) waving the fee for applications for such licences and (ii) expediting those applications; and if she will commission the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs to review this area of policy and make recommendations.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
Home Office policy on drug testing has not changed. It is a long-established legal requirement, under the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001, that a controlled drugs licence is needed to lawfully undertake activities including the possession, supply or production of controlled drugs.
We have been clear that organisations providing drug testing services need to apply for a Home Office licence where they are undertaking activities with controlled drugs.
The Home Office has not received any licence applications from organisations wanting to provide drug testing services at festivals this year. The Government’s guidance on applying for a controlled drug licence sets out the timelines required for the Home Office to consider an application. These timelines enable the Home Office to fulfil its legislative duties and its international obligations under the United Nations Drug Conventions. Similarly, fees for licence applications are set out in statute and are applied universally to prospective licensees.
The Home Office has no plans to commission the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs to review drug testing.
Asked by: Crispin Blunt (Independent - Reigate)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 8 June to Question 187573 on Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs, whether she is taking steps to increase transparency in the functioning of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs, and whether her Department has received copies of the minutes of the Council since May 2013.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) is an independent Non-Departmental Public Body, sponsored by the Home Office.
The operation of the Council is a matter for the ACMD, although my Department is aware that the ACMD follows and continues to develop its own standard operating procedure for using evidence in its reports.
The ACMD routinely publish their reports which can be found on Gov.uk.
Asked by: Crispin Blunt (Independent - Reigate)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs' Part 2 report on Barriers to Research commission, published 12th December 2022, when her Department received a draft copy of the report; when she expects the final document to be published; and for what reasons her Department received an advance draft copy.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office has not received an advance draft of the ACMD’s barriers to research – part 2 report. I look forward to receiving the ACMD’s advice on this important topic.
Asked by: Crispin Blunt (Independent - Reigate)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how her Department plans to assess the impact of controlling nitrous oxide as a Class C drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971; and what estimate she has made of the cost of this policy to the public purse in the next five years.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government will conduct a full Impact Assessment before implementing control of nitrous oxide. This will include consideration of the impact control will have on levels of nitrous oxide misuse, as well as the impact control will have on businesses with legitimate requirements for nitrous oxide, the public sector, and other identified groups. This will examine the cost over a 10-year appraisal period and will be published on the GOV.UK website.
It is not our intention to hinder or place undue burden on those who wish to use nitrous oxide for legitimate purposes or to unduly impact businesses. To support our understanding of the uses of nitrous oxide and how best to exempt legitimate use, the Government published a consultation - Nitrous oxide: legitimate uses and appropriate controls - which seeks views from organisations and people who use, or might wish to use, nitrous oxide in the future for legitimate purposes. The consultation runs until 27 June and is available on the GOV.UK website.
Asked by: Crispin Blunt (Independent - Reigate)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, for what reasons the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs has not posted meeting minutes on its website since 16 May 2013; and if she will ask the Council to provide copies of those minutes.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
As the ACMD is a Non-Departmental Public Body (NDPB), sponsored by the Home Office, its operation and working practice is a matter for the ACMD.
Asked by: Crispin Blunt (Independent - Reigate)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to present the first annual report monitoring her Department's progress on the strategy and delivery of 10-year drug strategy From Harm to Hope.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
Each relevant Secretary of State has accountability for delivery of the elements in the drug strategy, From Harm to Hope, that lie within their department’s remit. As the Combating Drugs Minister, I have overarching accountability for the strategy and delivery of the ambitions and commitments, and will present an annual report to Parliament to monitor progress.
The report is scheduled for publication in summer 2023 and will contain an update on progress on work funded by the strategy.
Asked by: Crispin Blunt (Independent - Reigate)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will publish the (a) date and (b) minutes of the meeting referred to in The Official Report of 18 May 2023, Vol. 732, Col. 1038, between her Department's Chief Scientific Adviser and the Chief Medical Officer and the Chief Scientific Officer in the Department of Health and Social Care on the topic of the rescheduling of psilocybin.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
The meeting referred to in Hansard was on reducing barriers to research into controlled drugs, rather than on the rescheduling of psilocybin. It took place on 28 April 2023.
The Home Office has no plans to publish minutes of this meeting, which was intended to support the provision of advice to Ministers.
Asked by: Crispin Blunt (Independent - Reigate)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department plans to take to tackle the rise in transphobic hate crime.
Answered by Sarah Dines
The Government takes all forms of hate crime seriously. We expect the police to fully investigate these hateful attacks and make sure the cowards who commit them feel the full force of the law.
The Government is committed to reducing all crime, including hate crime, which is why we have successfully recruited more than 20,000 extra police officers.
Asked by: Crispin Blunt (Independent - Reigate)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Working Protocol between the Home Secretary and the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs, published on 15 November 2011, whether she discussed with the Chair or a nominated representative her reasons to reject the Council's recommendations on nitrous oxide before making a final decision.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
As Minister of State for Crime, Policing and Fire, I met the Chair of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) and the Chair of the ACMD Novel Psychoactive Substances Committee, which undertook the nitrous oxide review, on 7 March 2023 to discuss the findings of the updated ACMD harms assessment on nitrous oxide before a final decision had been taken.
This is in accordance with Part 4 (iv) of the Working Protocol between the Home Secretary and the ACMD.
Asked by: Crispin Blunt (Independent - Reigate)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 18 April 2023 to Question 176520 on Nitrous Oxide: Misuse, with reference to the Working Protocol between the Home Secretary and the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs, published 15 November 2011, for what reasons the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs was not advised in writing of the Government’s reasons for rejecting the Council’s recommendations on nitrous oxide in advance of any public comment.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
On 27 March we published the Anti-social Behaviour (ASB) Action Plan announcing our intention to control nitrous oxide as a Class C drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.
The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs were notified in writing of our intention not to accept recommendation 1 of their updated harms assessment in advance of the publication of the ASB Action Plan. In line with the Working Protocol, the letter set out the reasons behind our decision to reject their recommendation.