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1581673

	registered interest
	date	30/01/2023
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	Pesticides: Safety
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask His Majesty's Government when they will report on the outcome of the Government Oversight Group review of the stewardship regime for professional use of Second Generation Anticoagulant Rodenticides in the UK after five years of operation; and what steps they are taking to end the use of previously banned substances still being deployed in the countryside to poison wildlife.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb
	uin	HL5214
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/02/2023 answer text <p>The detailed work of the review of the stewardship scheme for anticoagulant rodenticides is ongoing.</p><p> </p><p>The Government Oversight Group for Rodenticides, chaired by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and the industry’s representative body, the Campaign for Responsible Rodenticide Use met in December 2022 to discuss the existing stewardship regime and agree areas of focus for its review. Discussions also included establishing a timetable for the work required to take the review forward during 2023.</p><p> </p><p>With respect to the issue of wildlife poisoning, there are robust, multi-agency arrangements in place for enforcing the illegal supply and use of chemicals; with the illegal poisoning of protected species investigated by a dedicated Wildlife Incident Investigation Scheme.</p> answering member printed Viscount Younger of Leckie question first answered 09/02/2023 14:51:15 answering member 4169 label Biography information for Viscount Younger of Leckie
	tabling member	4297 label Biography information for Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb

1674522

	registered interest
	date	30/11/2023
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Drugs: Misuse
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what policy changes they are actively considering, formulating and developing in relation to the Advisory Council for the Misuse of Drugs report sent to the Home Secretary in December 2016, titled Interaction and relationship between the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 and the Psychoactive Substances Act 2016; and when they expect this policy process to conclude.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb
	uin	HL767
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/12/2023 answer text <p>The Psychoactive Substances Act 2016 (PSA) was designed to complement the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (MDA), by introducing civil sanctions and offences for those who produce, possess with intent to supply, supply, offer to supply and import or export new psychoactive substances which are not controlled under the MDA or which are not otherwise exempt. One of the important safeguards which the PSA provides is ensuring there are no gaps in law enforcement powers to tackle newly emerging harmful drugs. This is in the context that prior to 2016 criminal gangs were designing new psychoactive drugs with different chemical structures in order to evade MDA controls. Substances can be moved into the MDA following advice on their harms from the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) and subject to the decisions of Ministers.</p><p>A review of the PSA published in 2018 found that there is no evidence that the PSA has adversely affected the process or timeliness with which substances can be controlled under the MDA, with substances continuing to be controlled after the Act was introduced. <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/756896/Review_of_the_Psychoactive_Substances_Act__2016___web_.pdf" target="_blank">Review of the Psychoactive Substances Act 2016 (publishing.service.gov.uk)</a>. The government keeps all legislation under review, but has no plans to change either legislative regime substantially.</p><p>The report referred to as ‘Interaction and relationship between the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 and the Psychoactive Substances Act 2016’ was shared with the Home Office in confidence by the ACMD and is not a public document. One recommendation has been made public, concerning a review of the Working Protocol between the ACMD and the Home Office, which the government has agreed to undertake.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Sharpe of Epsom grouped question UIN HL768 question first answered 14/12/2023 17:36:11 answering member 4888 label Biography information for Lord Sharpe of Epsom
	tabling member	4297 label Biography information for Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb

1674523

	registered interest
	date	30/11/2023
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Drugs: Misuse
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the interaction and relationship between the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 and the Psychoactive Substances Act 2016, and what plans they have to harmonise those two regimes.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb
	uin	HL768
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/12/2023 answer text <p>The Psychoactive Substances Act 2016 (PSA) was designed to complement the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (MDA), by introducing civil sanctions and offences for those who produce, possess with intent to supply, supply, offer to supply and import or export new psychoactive substances which are not controlled under the MDA or which are not otherwise exempt. One of the important safeguards which the PSA provides is ensuring there are no gaps in law enforcement powers to tackle newly emerging harmful drugs. This is in the context that prior to 2016 criminal gangs were designing new psychoactive drugs with different chemical structures in order to evade MDA controls. Substances can be moved into the MDA following advice on their harms from the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) and subject to the decisions of Ministers.</p><p>A review of the PSA published in 2018 found that there is no evidence that the PSA has adversely affected the process or timeliness with which substances can be controlled under the MDA, with substances continuing to be controlled after the Act was introduced. <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/756896/Review_of_the_Psychoactive_Substances_Act__2016___web_.pdf" target="_blank">Review of the Psychoactive Substances Act 2016 (publishing.service.gov.uk)</a>. The government keeps all legislation under review, but has no plans to change either legislative regime substantially.</p><p>The report referred to as ‘Interaction and relationship between the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 and the Psychoactive Substances Act 2016’ was shared with the Home Office in confidence by the ACMD and is not a public document. One recommendation has been made public, concerning a review of the Working Protocol between the ACMD and the Home Office, which the government has agreed to undertake.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Sharpe of Epsom grouped question UIN HL767 question first answered 14/12/2023 17:36:11 answering member 4888 label Biography information for Lord Sharpe of Epsom
	tabling member	4297 label Biography information for Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb

1674524

	registered interest
	date	30/11/2023
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Drugs: Misuse
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what harm reduction policies they are implementing in relation to illicit drug use.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb
	uin	HL769
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/12/2023 answer text <p>The Drug Strategy sets out our commitment that the government and our public services will continue to work together and share responsibility for creating a safer, healthier and more productive society. It is backed by increased funding across the system, including nearly £900 million of additional investment over 2022-2025, of which the largest amount, £780 million, is dedicated additional funding for the treatment and recovery system.</p><p>Delivering a world-class treatment and recovery system is one of the three key strategic priorities in the Drug Strategy.</p><p>As part of this priority, the Government continues to support a range of evidence-based approaches to reduce the health-related harms of drug misuse, such as maintaining the availability of needle and syringe programmes to prevent blood borne infections, widening the availability of naloxone to prevent overdose deaths and the rollout of the opioid treatment, depot buprenorphine.</p> answering member printed Lord Sharpe of Epsom question first answered 14/12/2023 17:33:13 answering member 4888 label Biography information for Lord Sharpe of Epsom
	tabling member	4297 label Biography information for Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb

1674525

	registered interest
	date	30/11/2023
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Drugs: Misuse
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to increase access to (1) drug testing, and (2) overdose prevention centres, to reduce drug related deaths.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb
	uin	HL770
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/12/2023 answer text <p>Those wishing to offer drug testing or checking services can do so provided that any possession and supply of controlled drugs is licensed by the Home Office or, exceptionally, relevant exemptions under the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001 apply.</p><p> </p><p>Ministers are clear that any type of drug checking service must not condone drug use and should only be delivered where licensed and operated responsibly in line with Government policy to ensure that they discourage drug use and signpost potential users to treatment and support. We welcome potential applicants who wish to apply for a licence and who share these principles.</p><p> </p><p>The UK Government does not support drug consumption rooms, sometimes referred to as overdose prevention centres. We have been clear that we have concerns about the potential for these facilities to appear to condone drug use and to encourage the continued illicit supply of drugs and they will not be introduced in England and Wales.</p><p> </p><p>I am aware of the Lord Advocate’s statement that in her view it would not be in the public interest to prosecute users for simple drug possession offences in relation to a pilot drug consumption room in Glasgow. While our concerns remain, the UK Government will not interfere with, or seek to impede, the lawfully exercised prosecutorial independence of the Lord Advocate.</p><p> </p><p>Increased drug testing in custody is a further way in which testing is being supported. The Drug Testing on Arrest (DToA) expansion project is a key deliverable in the 10-year Drug Strategy to help tackle drug-related offending. The primary aim of this project is expansion, both in the number of police forces delivering DToA and the overall increase in volume of tests carried out.</p><p>Year 1 of the DToA project (FY22-23) saw an increase in the number of police forces accepting Home Office funding to set-up or expand DToA operations, and an increase in the number of forces reporting data to the Home Office, with recent programme data published on GOV.UK. Year 2 of the programme is underway, and the Home Office has appointed an external evaluator to consider the impacts of the project.</p><p>The legislative expansion of DToA is also progressing well, following the publication of the Anti-Social Behaviour Action Plan in March 2023. In August, police were given the power to test for all Class A drugs. Further legislation will enable specified Class B and C drugs to be tested for and will extend the list of ‘trigger’ offences that make drug testing more accessible to officers to deploy. These changes will also enable the police to refer more individuals to treatment and support services.</p> answering member printed Lord Sharpe of Epsom question first answered 13/12/2023 17:32:32 answering member 4888 label Biography information for Lord Sharpe of Epsom
	tabling member	4297 label Biography information for Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb

1678712

	registered interest
	date	18/12/2023
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Drugs: Misuse
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Sharpe of Epsom on 14 December (HL767), on what basis the Advisory Council for the Misuse of Drugs report Interaction and relationship between the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 and the Psychoactive Substances Act 2016, sent to the Home Secretary in December 2016, was shared "in confidence"; and who took the decision to waive any such confidentiality in relation to the part of the report that has been made public.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb
	uin	HL1278
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/12/2023 answer text <p>As set out by the response to Written Answer HL767, the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) marked the document titled “Interaction and relationship between the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 and the Psychoactive Substances Act 2016” “in confidence”. The document was not intended for publication and there are no plans to publish it. The portion that has been made public was made public under the terms of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (“FOIA 2000”) and following the decision of the relevant tribunal (case reference EA/2021/0301).</p><p> </p><p>The portion released under the FOIA 2000 recommended a review of the Working Protocol between the ACMD and the Home Office to take into account the functions of the ACMD under the Psychoactive Substances Act 2016 (“the 2016 Act”). The Working Protocol has not been revised since 2011 and is available at the following link: <a href="https://gbr01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gov.uk%2Fgovernment%2Fpublications%2Fworking-protocol-between-the-home-secretary-and-the-advisory-council-on-the-misuse-of-drugs&amp;data=05%7C02%7CLiam.Price2%40homeoffice.gov.uk%7C0f3b5e5094924fd41a1f08dc007d513b%7Cf24d93ecb2914192a08af182245945c2%7C0%7C0%7C638385785729643796%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=XnT9RCvi7TX1aQJ07uHM7aufQZsu5b94e9Vwc0EZ1H4%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">Working Protocol between the Home Secretary and the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)</a></p><p> </p><p>The Government intends to undertake a review in due course and if this results in a revised Working Protocol, the revised version will be published on gov.uk.</p> answering member printed Lord Sharpe of Epsom grouped question UIN HL1279 HL1280 question first answered 20/12/2023 16:45:20 answering member 4888 label Biography information for Lord Sharpe of Epsom
	tabling member	4297 label Biography information for Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb

1678713

	registered interest
	date	18/12/2023
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Drugs: Misuse
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Sharpe of Epsom on 14 December (HL767), what steps they have taken to ensure that parliamentarians are properly informed about the issues raised in the Advisory Council for the Misuse of Drugs report Interaction and relationship between the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 and the Psychoactive Substances Act 2016, sent to the Home Secretary in December 2016.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb
	uin	HL1279
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/12/2023 answer text <p>As set out by the response to Written Answer HL767, the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) marked the document titled “Interaction and relationship between the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 and the Psychoactive Substances Act 2016” “in confidence”. The document was not intended for publication and there are no plans to publish it. The portion that has been made public was made public under the terms of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (“FOIA 2000”) and following the decision of the relevant tribunal (case reference EA/2021/0301).</p><p> </p><p>The portion released under the FOIA 2000 recommended a review of the Working Protocol between the ACMD and the Home Office to take into account the functions of the ACMD under the Psychoactive Substances Act 2016 (“the 2016 Act”). The Working Protocol has not been revised since 2011 and is available at the following link: <a href="https://gbr01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gov.uk%2Fgovernment%2Fpublications%2Fworking-protocol-between-the-home-secretary-and-the-advisory-council-on-the-misuse-of-drugs&amp;data=05%7C02%7CLiam.Price2%40homeoffice.gov.uk%7C0f3b5e5094924fd41a1f08dc007d513b%7Cf24d93ecb2914192a08af182245945c2%7C0%7C0%7C638385785729643796%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=XnT9RCvi7TX1aQJ07uHM7aufQZsu5b94e9Vwc0EZ1H4%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">Working Protocol between the Home Secretary and the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)</a></p><p> </p><p>The Government intends to undertake a review in due course and if this results in a revised Working Protocol, the revised version will be published on gov.uk.</p> answering member printed Lord Sharpe of Epsom grouped question UIN HL1278 HL1280 question first answered 20/12/2023 16:45:20 answering member 4888 label Biography information for Lord Sharpe of Epsom
	tabling member	4297 label Biography information for Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb

1678714

	registered interest
	date	18/12/2023
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Sharpe of Epsom on 14 December (HL767), what is the status of the review of the Working Protocol between the Advisory Council for the Misuse of Drugs and the Home Office; when the review will be completed; and whether it will be published.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb
	uin	HL1280
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/12/2023 answer text <p>As set out by the response to Written Answer HL767, the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) marked the document titled “Interaction and relationship between the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 and the Psychoactive Substances Act 2016” “in confidence”. The document was not intended for publication and there are no plans to publish it. The portion that has been made public was made public under the terms of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (“FOIA 2000”) and following the decision of the relevant tribunal (case reference EA/2021/0301).</p><p> </p><p>The portion released under the FOIA 2000 recommended a review of the Working Protocol between the ACMD and the Home Office to take into account the functions of the ACMD under the Psychoactive Substances Act 2016 (“the 2016 Act”). The Working Protocol has not been revised since 2011 and is available at the following link: <a href="https://gbr01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gov.uk%2Fgovernment%2Fpublications%2Fworking-protocol-between-the-home-secretary-and-the-advisory-council-on-the-misuse-of-drugs&amp;data=05%7C02%7CLiam.Price2%40homeoffice.gov.uk%7C0f3b5e5094924fd41a1f08dc007d513b%7Cf24d93ecb2914192a08af182245945c2%7C0%7C0%7C638385785729643796%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=XnT9RCvi7TX1aQJ07uHM7aufQZsu5b94e9Vwc0EZ1H4%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">Working Protocol between the Home Secretary and the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)</a></p><p> </p><p>The Government intends to undertake a review in due course and if this results in a revised Working Protocol, the revised version will be published on gov.uk.</p> answering member printed Lord Sharpe of Epsom grouped question UIN HL1278 HL1279 question first answered 20/12/2023 16:45:20 answering member 4888 label Biography information for Lord Sharpe of Epsom
	tabling member	4297 label Biography information for Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb

1678715

	registered interest
	date	18/12/2023
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Drugs: Misuse
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they made of the effectiveness of overdose prevention centres in reducing death and other harms caused by drug use to individuals and society; and why they do not support pilot overdose prevention centres.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb
	uin	HL1281
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/01/2024 answer text <p>The Government does not support drug consumption rooms. We have been clear that we have concerns about the potential for these facilities to appear to condone drug use and to encourage the continued illicit supply of drugs. They will not be introduced in England and Wales.</p><p> </p><p>We are aware of previous international studies of DCRs, sometimes referred to as overdose prevention centres, although there is usually little or no focus on how far DCRs reduce illicit drug use by those using DCRs, or whether they result in reductions in overall drug use. Methodological and geographical differences as well as the small number of cities where DCRs operate makes it difficult to draw firm conclusions at this stage. In addition, the impact of DCRs in isolation is hard to measure as a range of other support and interventions such as needle and syringe exchange programmes are often provided within a DCR.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Sharpe of Epsom question first answered 11/01/2024 14:21:25 answering member 4888 label Biography information for Lord Sharpe of Epsom
	tabling member	4297 label Biography information for Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb

1681727

	registered interest
	date	11/01/2024
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Radicalism
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what guidance they are providing for Prevent practitioners on the circumstances under which they are required to refer an individual involved in human rights, social justice or environmental activism who is not expressing support for violence.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb
	uin	HL1524
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/01/2024 answer text <p>Prevent practitioners should follow the <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/prevent-duty-guidance" target="_blank">Prevent duty guidance</a>. Free training is available on gov.uk which includes the notice, check, share procedure. Practitioners should consider whether they believe the person may be on a pathway that could lead to terrorism. Those with specific Prevent responsibilities are expected to have a good understanding of extremist ideologies as a key driver of radicalisation and should complete any required ideology training.</p> answering member printed Lord Sharpe of Epsom question first answered 23/01/2024 17:31:08 answering member 4888 label Biography information for Lord Sharpe of Epsom
	tabling member	4297 label Biography information for Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb