The term \u2018harm reduction units for the use of drug taking in a safe environment\u2019 refers to what are often more commonly known as Drug Consumption Rooms (DCRs).<\/p>
The Government does not support DCRs. 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. While we remain open to considering any new evidence, the evidence available to date has informed the current policy position.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4503", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Chris Philp"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Croydon South"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Chris Philp"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2024-01-16", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2024-01-16T17:42:26.383Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2024-01-09", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Drugs: Misuse"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of harm reduction units for the use of drug taking in a safe environment.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4471", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Rachael Maskell"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "York Central"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Rachael Maskell"} ], "uin" : "8775"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1678712", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Home Office"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1678712/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
As set out by the response to Written Answer HL767, the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) marked the document titled \u201cInteraction and relationship between the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 and the Psychoactive Substances Act 2016\u201d \u201cin confidence\u201d. 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 (\u201cFOIA 2000\u201d) and following the decision of the relevant tribunal (case reference EA/2021/0301).<\/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 (\u201cthe 2016 Act\u201d). The Working Protocol has not been revised since 2011 and is available at the following link: Working Protocol between the Home Secretary and the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)<\/a><\/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>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4888", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Sharpe of Epsom"}
}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Lord Sharpe of Epsom"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2023-12-20", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "groupedQuestionUIN" : [{"_value" : "HL1279"}
, {"_value" : "HL1280"}
], "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2023-12-20T16:45:20.61Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2023-12-18", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Drugs: Misuse"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"}
}
], "questionText" : "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.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4297", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb"}
}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb"}
], "uin" : "HL1278"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1678713", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Home Office"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1678713/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " As set out by the response to Written Answer HL767, the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) marked the document titled \u201cInteraction and relationship between the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 and the Psychoactive Substances Act 2016\u201d \u201cin confidence\u201d. 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 (\u201cFOIA 2000\u201d) and following the decision of the relevant tribunal (case reference EA/2021/0301).<\/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 (\u201cthe 2016 Act\u201d). The Working Protocol has not been revised since 2011 and is available at the following link: Working Protocol between the Home Secretary and the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)<\/a><\/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>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4888", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Sharpe of Epsom"}
}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Lord Sharpe of Epsom"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2023-12-20", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "groupedQuestionUIN" : [{"_value" : "HL1278"}
, {"_value" : "HL1280"}
], "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2023-12-20T16:45:20.67Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2023-12-18", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Drugs: Misuse"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"}
}
], "questionText" : "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.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4297", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb"}
}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb"}
], "uin" : "HL1279"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1678715", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Home Office"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1678715/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " 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> 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>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4888", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Sharpe of Epsom"}
}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Lord Sharpe of Epsom"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2024-01-11", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2024-01-11T14:21:25.97Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2023-12-18", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Drugs: Misuse"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"}
}
], "questionText" : "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.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4297", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb"}
}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb"}
], "uin" : "HL1281"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1675121", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Home Office"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1675121/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " BlueLight Commercial is company that is owned by the policing sector. It was set up to provide commercial expertise and assistance to policing and assist forces in identifying and making efficiency savings.<\/p> The Government have not provided specific funding to BlueLight Commercial for their work on Operation Safeguard. BlueLight Commercial have direct arrangements with the policing sector to cover administrative costs they have incurred for the work they have delivered.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4503", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Chris Philp"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Croydon South"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Chris Philp"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2023-12-12", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2023-12-12T12:48:43.133Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2023-12-04", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Drugs: Misuse"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much funding was provided to Blue Blight Commercial as part of Operation Safeguard.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4389", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Ruth Cadbury"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Brentford and Isleworth"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Ruth Cadbury"}
], "uin" : "5061"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1674522", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Home Office"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1674522/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " 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> 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. 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> The report referred to as \u2018Interaction and relationship between the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 and the Psychoactive Substances Act 2016\u2019 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>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4888", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Sharpe of Epsom"}
}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Lord Sharpe of Epsom"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2023-12-14", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "groupedQuestionUIN" : {"_value" : "HL768"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2023-12-14T17:36:11.36Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2023-11-30", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Drugs: Misuse"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"}
}
], "questionText" : "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.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4297", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb"}
}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb"}
], "uin" : "HL767"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1674523", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Home Office"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1674523/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " 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>