Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the legal framework governing the sale of nitrous oxide for the protection of public health and safety.

The Psychoactive Substances Act 2016 (2016 Act) bans the sale, supply, production and distribution of psychoactive substances, such as nitrous oxide, for human consumption

The Crown Prosecution Service continues to prosecute cases involving nitrous oxide under the 2016 Act successfully. The Government continue to work closely with the CPS, law enforcement and scientific experts to ensure that prosecutions of cases under the 2016 Act are supported by the best available evidence.

Since the 2016 Act came into force, over 300 retailers across the United Kingdom have either closed down or are no longer selling psychoactive substances and action by the National Crime Agency has resulted in the removal of psychoactive substances being sold by UK based websites. In 2016, there were 28 convictions in England and Wales and seven people jailed under the new powers. This rose to 152 convictions in 2017 with 62 people immediately sent to custody.