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<p> </p><p>As stated in my answer to the Honourable Member of 7 April 2014, Official
<br>Report, column 112W, on 12 December 2013 I announced a review by an expert panel
to look <br>at how the UK's response to new psychoactive substances, sometimes inaccurately
<br>called ‘legal highs', can be enhanced beyond the existing measures. The expert
panel includes <br>a senior policy adviser from the Local Government Association to
inform the <br>work of the panel from a local government perspective, including whether
<br>existing by-laws may be used to tackle this damaging trade. This work is <br>ongoing,
and the panel is due to report its recommendations by the end of <br>spring 2014.<br><br>To
support local authorities, the Home Office published guidance in December <br>2013
setting out the range of legislative tools local authorities can use to <br>tackle
the 'head shops' where these substances are often sold. This was developed in <br>collaboration
with the Department for Communities and Local Government, the <br>Local Government
Association and the Trading Standards Institute and can be <br>found here: <br>https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/action-against-head-shops<br><br>The
guidance covers offences head shops may be committing under the Misuse of <br>Drugs
Act 1971, the Intoxicating Substances (Supply) Act 1985, and various <br>consumer
protection regulations. <br><br>The Home Office has also provided targeted support
to local authorities with <br>testing of new psychoactive substances through the Forensic
Early Warning <br>System, to help them take action against the sale of these products
by <br>identifying the contents.</p><p> </p>
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