Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to support victims of spiking.
Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
Spiking is an abhorrent crime and illegal in any form, whether through food or drink, vape, or needle. It can affect anyone, at any time and in any setting, regardless of gender, sexuality or age.
Between January 2021 and June 2023, the police received 19,347 reports of spiking. However, it is important to note that the principal offence rule prioritises recording the most serious offence, which means cases of spiking linked to other offences are captured under that substantive category rather than separately in central data.
Additionally, we assess that spiking crimes are underreported for a range of reasons, including embarrassment, lack of trust in the police or assumption that the police could not help or would not believe victims. To help overcome this and encourage more suspected victims of spiking to come forward, including anonymously if they so wish, the Police have launched an online reporting tool, available on police.uk.
The government is enhancing how the police record and report spiking crimes. From April 2026, spiking will be part of the Police’s Annual Data Requirement which will improve both the quality and quantity of data, as well as the frequency of reporting.
The Home Office will also look to utilise the National Data Quality Improvement Service (NDQIS), a computer-assisted classification tool, to greatly improve the analysis of the data it receives. NDQIS will have a range of benefits including being able to identify crimes which were facilitated by spiking, such as rape or sexual assault. We expect this to give us a better understanding of the scale of spiking and its use in enabling other crimes.
Tackling spiking is a government priority. We are implementing a comprehensive set of actions to strengthen awareness, prevention and detection, enhance support for victims and ensure perpetrators are brought to justice, including:
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to raise awareness of spiking.
Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
Spiking is an abhorrent crime and illegal in any form, whether through food or drink, vape, or needle. It can affect anyone, at any time and in any setting, regardless of gender, sexuality or age.
Between January 2021 and June 2023, the police received 19,347 reports of spiking. However, it is important to note that the principal offence rule prioritises recording the most serious offence, which means cases of spiking linked to other offences are captured under that substantive category rather than separately in central data.
Additionally, we assess that spiking crimes are underreported for a range of reasons, including embarrassment, lack of trust in the police or assumption that the police could not help or would not believe victims. To help overcome this and encourage more suspected victims of spiking to come forward, including anonymously if they so wish, the Police have launched an online reporting tool, available on police.uk.
The government is enhancing how the police record and report spiking crimes. From April 2026, spiking will be part of the Police’s Annual Data Requirement which will improve both the quality and quantity of data, as well as the frequency of reporting.
The Home Office will also look to utilise the National Data Quality Improvement Service (NDQIS), a computer-assisted classification tool, to greatly improve the analysis of the data it receives. NDQIS will have a range of benefits including being able to identify crimes which were facilitated by spiking, such as rape or sexual assault. We expect this to give us a better understanding of the scale of spiking and its use in enabling other crimes.
Tackling spiking is a government priority. We are implementing a comprehensive set of actions to strengthen awareness, prevention and detection, enhance support for victims and ensure perpetrators are brought to justice, including:
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people reported spiking incidents to the police in each of the last five years.
Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
Spiking is an abhorrent crime and illegal in any form, whether through food or drink, vape, or needle. It can affect anyone, at any time and in any setting, regardless of gender, sexuality or age.
Between January 2021 and June 2023, the police received 19,347 reports of spiking. However, it is important to note that the principal offence rule prioritises recording the most serious offence, which means cases of spiking linked to other offences are captured under that substantive category rather than separately in central data.
Additionally, we assess that spiking crimes are underreported for a range of reasons, including embarrassment, lack of trust in the police or assumption that the police could not help or would not believe victims. To help overcome this and encourage more suspected victims of spiking to come forward, including anonymously if they so wish, the Police have launched an online reporting tool, available on police.uk.
The government is enhancing how the police record and report spiking crimes. From April 2026, spiking will be part of the Police’s Annual Data Requirement which will improve both the quality and quantity of data, as well as the frequency of reporting.
The Home Office will also look to utilise the National Data Quality Improvement Service (NDQIS), a computer-assisted classification tool, to greatly improve the analysis of the data it receives. NDQIS will have a range of benefits including being able to identify crimes which were facilitated by spiking, such as rape or sexual assault. We expect this to give us a better understanding of the scale of spiking and its use in enabling other crimes.
Tackling spiking is a government priority. We are implementing a comprehensive set of actions to strengthen awareness, prevention and detection, enhance support for victims and ensure perpetrators are brought to justice, including:
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to improve reporting rates for incidents of spiking.
Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
Spiking is an abhorrent crime and illegal in any form, whether through food or drink, vape, or needle. It can affect anyone, at any time and in any setting, regardless of gender, sexuality or age.
Between January 2021 and June 2023, the police received 19,347 reports of spiking. However, it is important to note that the principal offence rule prioritises recording the most serious offence, which means cases of spiking linked to other offences are captured under that substantive category rather than separately in central data.
Additionally, we assess that spiking crimes are underreported for a range of reasons, including embarrassment, lack of trust in the police or assumption that the police could not help or would not believe victims. To help overcome this and encourage more suspected victims of spiking to come forward, including anonymously if they so wish, the Police have launched an online reporting tool, available on police.uk.
The government is enhancing how the police record and report spiking crimes. From April 2026, spiking will be part of the Police’s Annual Data Requirement which will improve both the quality and quantity of data, as well as the frequency of reporting.
The Home Office will also look to utilise the National Data Quality Improvement Service (NDQIS), a computer-assisted classification tool, to greatly improve the analysis of the data it receives. NDQIS will have a range of benefits including being able to identify crimes which were facilitated by spiking, such as rape or sexual assault. We expect this to give us a better understanding of the scale of spiking and its use in enabling other crimes.
Tackling spiking is a government priority. We are implementing a comprehensive set of actions to strengthen awareness, prevention and detection, enhance support for victims and ensure perpetrators are brought to justice, including:
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to ensure perpetrators of spiking are (a) detected and (b) arrested.
Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
Spiking is an abhorrent crime and illegal in any form, whether through food or drink, vape, or needle. It can affect anyone, at any time and in any setting, regardless of gender, sexuality or age.
Between January 2021 and June 2023, the police received 19,347 reports of spiking. However, it is important to note that the principal offence rule prioritises recording the most serious offence, which means cases of spiking linked to other offences are captured under that substantive category rather than separately in central data.
Additionally, we assess that spiking crimes are underreported for a range of reasons, including embarrassment, lack of trust in the police or assumption that the police could not help or would not believe victims. To help overcome this and encourage more suspected victims of spiking to come forward, including anonymously if they so wish, the Police have launched an online reporting tool, available on police.uk.
The government is enhancing how the police record and report spiking crimes. From April 2026, spiking will be part of the Police’s Annual Data Requirement which will improve both the quality and quantity of data, as well as the frequency of reporting.
The Home Office will also look to utilise the National Data Quality Improvement Service (NDQIS), a computer-assisted classification tool, to greatly improve the analysis of the data it receives. NDQIS will have a range of benefits including being able to identify crimes which were facilitated by spiking, such as rape or sexual assault. We expect this to give us a better understanding of the scale of spiking and its use in enabling other crimes.
Tackling spiking is a government priority. We are implementing a comprehensive set of actions to strengthen awareness, prevention and detection, enhance support for victims and ensure perpetrators are brought to justice, including:
Asked by: James Cleverly (Conservative - Braintree)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of banning vaping inside pubs on the economic viability of community pubs.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Tobacco and Vapes Bill provides the Government with powers to make most public places and workplaces that are smoke-free also vape-free.
Many businesses and enclosed public places, including pubs, already have voluntary schemes in place to prohibit vape usage inside their premises. We plan to consult on making most indoor settings, that are subject to existing smoke-free legislation, vape free.
Exactly which settings should become vape-free will be a matter for secondary legislation and will be subject to a full consultation. We will undertake full impact assessments before any regulations are made, including the likely impact on businesses.
Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he plans to take to ensure that the proposed pre-filled pod ban amendment in the Tobacco and Vapes Bill prevents the sale of non-compliant imported liquids to under-age users.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Tobacco and Vapes Bill does not include any measures which would ban pre-filled vape pods, and we have no plans to amend the Bill or bring forward secondary legislation to this effect. An amendment put forward by Earl Russell that proposes to ban pre-filled pods was debated and subsequently withdrawn during the second committee session for the Tobacco and Vapes Bill in the House of Lords.
The Bill will enable the introduction of a new registration scheme for all tobacco, vaping and nicotine products, which will ensure that only compliant imported e-liquids are available for sale in the United Kingdom. The Bill also ensures that all vaping products, including pre-filled pods, will fall under the same age of sale of 18 years old, and new fixed penalty notices will support Trading Standards in taking swift action in relation to underage sales.
Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he plans to take to help ensure that imported vaping liquids are subject to the same (a) safety and (b) nicotine-level testing as those produced by UK-regulated manufacturers.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Powers in the Tobacco and Vapes Bill allow us to establish a new registration scheme for tobacco, vaping, and nicotine products. Under this scheme, manufacturers of vaping liquids, as well as other products, would be required to provide information verifying the product’s safety and compliance with our product rules. Alongside this, the bill provides powers to establish a more rigorous testing regime for these products. These rules will apply to products produced in the United Kingdom and those imported for sale into the UK.
There are questions on both the registration and testing of products in the recently published Call for Evidence. In this, we are seeking information on how best to implement the registration scheme, as well as elements such as testing standards. The evidence gathered will inform development of policy and a subsequent consultation. Further information on the Call for Evidence is available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/calls-for-evidence/tobacco-and-vapes-evidence-to-support-legislation
The future registration scheme will play an important part in enforcing our rules on product requirements. It will ensure consumer safety and improve retailer confidence in the products they are selling.
Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an estimate of the number of illegal vape imports that do not comply with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency’s notification and testing regime which have entered the UK market in the most recent period for which data is available.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Before a nicotine vape can be placed on the United Kingdom consumer market, producers or manufacturers must first submit a notification to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), in accordance with the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016. If the notification data is compliant, the notification will be published on the MHRA portal.
However, under the current system, there is no requirement to check a product against its notification. There is also no current testing regime for nicotine vapes – this is done on an ad hoc basis where there is concern a product does not meet regulations. Therefore, no estimate has been made.
Powers in the Tobacco and Vapes Bill will enable us to establish a new registration scheme and more rigorous testing regime for tobacco, vaping and nicotine products.
Enforcement agencies continue to take action to ensure that illegal vapes do not reach consumers. In 2024/25, over one million illicit vapes were seized inland, and over 1.2 million illicit vapes were detained at ports by Trading Standards in England.
Asked by: Lord Farmer (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the health implications for young people of smoking high-strength cannabis, including psychotic episodes; and what steps they are taking to raise awareness of those implications.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government recognises the clear medical and scientific evidence of the harms of cannabis and is committed to reducing the harm from all illicit drugs. Any illegal drug use, including cannabis, can be harmful, due to both the immediate side-effects and long-term physical and mental health problems. Cannabis use can contribute to and exacerbate existing mental health problems or can accelerate their development in people predisposed to mental health problems
Taking cannabis in any form has risks. For instance, vaping supposed tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) may increase the risk of users unwittingly consuming more dangerous substances like synthetic cannabinoids. Where there are incidents of synthetic cannabinoids in THC vapes, the local authority public health team and the Police should take action with partners to warn and protect their communities. The Department is tracking reports nationally and its regional teams are providing localised warnings and support.
The Department has recently launched a media campaign to raise awareness of the risks posed by new drug trends and products, including the adulteration of THC vapes with other drugs like synthetic cannabinoids.
The Government will continue to work with our partners to discourage drug use and to alert people, particularly young people, to the potential dangers of cannabis. The Government has a drug information and advice service called Talk to FRANK, which aims to reduce drug misuse and its harms by increasing awareness, particularly for young people and parents. Talk to FRANK offers easy to read information on the risks of using cannabis and basic harm reduction advice. Information on cannabis is available at the Talk to FRANK website, in an online only format.