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101177

registered interest
date	27/10/2014
answering body	Department of Health
answering dept id	17
answering dept short name	Health
answering dept sort name	Health
hansard heading	Drugs: Misuse
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the effect of legal highs upon public health.
tabling member constituency	Taunton Deane
tabling member printed	Mr Jeremy Browne
uin	212051
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/11/2014 answer text <p>There have been a number of assessments of the health harms of new psychoactive substances (NPS) in recent years. These include the following:</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>- a summary of the health harms of drugs published by the Department in August 2011 sets out an assessment of the health harms of novel psychoactive drugs among others. The report outlined acute and chronic problems associated these substances, but the date of the evidence review meant it was early to determine the actual harms of the NPS;</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>- the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) published its report ‘Consideration of the Novel Psychoactive Substances (‘Legal Highs’)’ in 2011. The report includes an assessment of the harms that these drugs cause;</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>- since 2010, the ACMD has published a number of reports on their assessment of different types of NPS, including the harms they cause. The drugs the ACMD have reported on include tryptamines, NBOMe compounds, benzofurans, O-desmethyltramadol, methoxetamine, synthetic cannabinoids, and 2-DPMP (Ivory Wave);</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>- on 30 October 2014, the Home Office published the report of an expert panel they appointed to look at the issue of NPS and provide recommendations to the Government. Alongside the report and the Government response, the Home Office also published an NPS evidence review. The evidence review found that that the available evidence suggests that the overall harms from NPS are low compared to the overall harms from traditional illicit drugs;</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>- the Government’s Drugs Early Warning System (DEWS) helps ensure that harmful new substances are rapidly identified. Local and national intelligence gathered by DEWS – including health harms – assists the ACMD in its assessment of harms of NPS. On a broader scale, national intelligence is fed into a Europe-wide early warning system for new substances;</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>- FRANK, the government’s drug information service, has information about the harms caused by NPS; and</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>- Public Health England (PHE) is supporting and contributing clinical expertise to the first set of clinical guidelines on the acute management and treatment of novel psychoactive substances (NPS). Project NEPTUNE will advise clinicians on how to assess and respond to NPS related harm and is currently being developed by the Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust. The guidelines are due to be published in 2015. PHE has committed to using its networks and other resources to support the dissemination of project NEPTUNE’s findings and advice.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Battersea answering member printed Jane Ellison question first answered 04/11/2014 16:09:45 answering member 3918 label Biography information for Jane Ellison
tabling member	1575 label Biography information for Mr Jeremy Browne

93584

registered interest
date	15/10/2014
answering body	Department of Health
answering dept id	17
answering dept short name	Health
answering dept sort name	Health
hansard heading	Drugs: Misuse
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether his Department is providing funding to the International Centre for Drug Policy to produce a National Programme on Substance Abuse Deaths to report for 2014.
tabling member constituency	Delyn
tabling member printed	Mr David Hanson
uin	210812
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/10/2014 answer text <p>Public Health England officials are in discussions with St George's, University of London, concerning the production of a National Programme on Substance Abuse Deaths report covering the year 2013.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Battersea answering member printed Jane Ellison question first answered 20/10/2014 16:03:40 answering member 3918 label Biography information for Jane Ellison
tabling member	533 label Biography information for David Hanson

93585

registered interest
date	15/10/2014
answering body	Department of Health
answering dept id	17
answering dept short name	Health
answering dept sort name	Health
hansard heading	Drugs: Misuse
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether he plans to publish the number of deaths caused by volatile substance abuse in England and Wales in (a) 2013-14 and (b) future years.
tabling member constituency	Delyn
tabling member printed	Mr David Hanson
uin	210810
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/10/2014 answer text <p>The Department has asked Public Health England to consider how future data on volatile substance abuse deaths might be collected and reported. Additionally, on 17 October 2014, the Office for National Statistics published a one-off report providing data on drug related deaths involving volatile substances and nitrous oxide in England and Wales, 1993–2013. A copy of the report is attached.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Battersea answering member printed Jane Ellison question first answered 20/10/2014 16:12:31 answering member 3918 label Biography information for Jane Ellison attachment 1 file name PQ210810 data.xlsx title Drug related deaths
tabling member	533 label Biography information for David Hanson

93641

registered interest
date	15/10/2014
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Drugs: Misuse
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many youth custodial sentences have been awarded for drug offences in the last five years; and how many of those sentences are for (a) primary offences and (b) non-Class A offences.
tabling member constituency	Enfield, Southgate
tabling member printed	Mr David Burrowes
uin	210653
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/10/2014 answer text <p>The principal aim of the youth justice system in England and Wales is the prevention of offending by children and young people under the age of 18. Courts must have regard to this aim and to the welfare of the offender when sentencing a child or young person with the emphasis being on approaches that seem most likely to be effective with young people.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Table 1: Number of Juveniles sentenced to immediate custody for all drug offences<strong>[1]</strong> and for primary non-Class A drug offences<strong>[2]</strong> England and Wales 2009-2013<strong>[3]</strong><strong>[4]</strong> </strong></p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>All Drug Offences<sup>1 </sup></strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Number of Juveniles sentenced</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Primary Non-Class A Drug Offences<sup>2 </sup></strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Number of Juveniles sentenced</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2009</strong></p></td><td><p>223</p></td><td><p><strong>2009</strong></p></td><td><p>56</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2010</strong></p></td><td><p>222</p></td><td><p><strong>2010</strong></p></td><td><p>84</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2011</strong></p></td><td><p>185</p></td><td><p><strong>2011</strong></p></td><td><p>68</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2012</strong></p></td><td><p>129</p></td><td><p><strong>2012</strong></p></td><td><p>47</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2013</strong></p></td><td><p>137</p></td><td><p><strong>2013</strong></p></td><td><p>31</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>Custodial sentences are available for those young people who commit the most serious offences and who fail to respond to community interventions.</p><p> </p><p>There are also a number of community sentences which are available to the courts which are not covered by the figures above. As part of the Youth Rehabilitation Order, a Drug Treatment Requirement is available, where the young person’s drug use has been identified as a substantive factor in their offending behaviour. The Drug Treatment Requirement means that the young person must submit to treatment during the period specified in the order with a view to the reduction or elimination of the young person’s dependency on, or propensity to misuse, drugs.</p><p> </p><p>[1] Data includes Sections 12, 13, 19(a), (b) Criminal Justice Co-Operation Act 1990, RR.6(5), 7, 8, &amp; 9(2) Controlled Drugs (Drug Precursors)(Community External Trade) Regs 2008, Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, Customs and Excise Management Act 1979 (SS.50(2), (3) &amp; (5), 68 (2) &amp; (4) &amp; 170(1), (2), (3) &amp; (4) &amp; Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 SS 327-330, 333, 334 (1,2) &amp; 336 (5) &amp; (6)</p><p> </p><p>[2] Data excludes the following offence descriptions and corresponding statutes: Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 SEC 4(2)(3) SS.170(1)(b) &amp; (3) &amp; (4) &amp; Sch.1,P.1 SEC 19, SEC 8, Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 SEC 4(2)(3) SS.170(1)(b) &amp; (3) &amp; (4) &amp; Sch.1,P.1 SEC 19, SEC 8, Criminal Justice (International Co-operation) Act 1990 S.19(a)(b)</p><p> </p><p>[3] The statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences the principal offence is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.</p><p> </p><p>[4] Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.</p> answering member constituency South West Bedfordshire answering member printed Andrew Selous question first answered 22/10/2014 15:25:50 answering member 1453 label Biography information for Andrew Selous
tabling member	1518 label Biography information for Mr David Burrowes

93642

registered interest
date	15/10/2014
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Drugs: Misuse
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many maximum custodial sentences were awarded for class (a) A, (b) B and (c) C drugs in the most recent year for which figures are available.
tabling member constituency	Enfield, Southgate
tabling member printed	Mr David Burrowes
uin	210652
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/10/2014 answer text <p>Drug offending is serious in itself and drug abuse also underlies a huge volume of acquisitive and violent crime which can blight communities.</p><p> </p><p>Parliament sets the maximum penalty for an offence at a level to deal with the worst possible case. This means that there will, rightly, be few cases where the maximum sentence is imposed. The independent Sentencing Council issued a sentencing guideline on drug offences, effective from February 2012, which brought sentencing guidance together for the first time to help to ensure consistent and proportionate sentencing for all drug offences that come before courts.</p><p> </p><p>The number of offenders sentenced to immediate custody that were given the maximum sentence for class A, B and C drug offences at all courts in England and Wales for 2013 (the latest data available), can be viewed in the table.</p> answering member constituency Hemel Hempstead answering member printed Mike Penning question first answered 22/10/2014 10:56:16 answering member 1528 label Biography information for Sir Mike Penning attachment 1 file name 210652 - Burrowes - Table.xls title Offenders sentenced to immediate custody
tabling member	1518 label Biography information for Mr David Burrowes

92885

registered interest
date	13/10/2014
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	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, for what reason the New Psychoactive Substances review was not published on 25 September 2014 as scheduled; and when she expects to publish that review.
tabling member constituency	Kingston upon Hull North
tabling member printed	Diana Johnson
uin	210214
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/10/2014 answer text <p>The New Psychoactive Substances Expert Panel's report will be published shortly, alongside the Government's response. There was no Government <br>commitment to publish the report on 25 September 2014.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Lewes answering member printed Norman Baker question first answered 16/10/2014 11:08:40 answering member 28 label Biography information for Norman Baker
tabling member	1533 label Biography information for Dame Diana Johnson

92012

registered interest
date	26/09/2014
answering body	Department of Health
answering dept id	17
answering dept short name	Health
answering dept sort name	Health
hansard heading	Drugs: Misuse
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the cost to the NHS of the illegal use of controlled substances in (a) England, (b) Yorkshire and Humber, (c) South Yorkshire and (d) Barnsley East constituency.
tabling member constituency	Barnsley East
tabling member printed	Michael Dugher
uin	209391
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/10/2014 answer text <p>The data is not available in the format requested. However, the Home Office published report ‘The Economic and Social Costs of Class A Drug Use in England and Wales’ estimated the cost of class A drug use to the National Health Service in England to be £488 million per year.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Battersea answering member printed Jane Ellison question first answered 20/10/2014 17:50:06 answering member 3918 label Biography information for Jane Ellison
tabling member	3916 label Biography information for Michael Dugher

91745

registered interest
date	12/09/2014
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	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans she has to bring forward legislative proposals to introduce new powers to close shops selling legal highs.
tabling member constituency	Taunton Deane
tabling member printed	Mr Jeremy Browne
uin	209220
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/10/2014 answer text <p>I refer to the Written Ministerial Statement of 12 December 2013, Official Report, column 58WS, in which I announced that the Coalition Government would conduct a review into new psychoactive substances led by a panel of experts.<br><br>I have now considered the expert panel’s report on the new psychoactive substances review including consideration of possible responses to the existence of &quot;head shops&quot;. The Government will respond to the expert panel’s report and its recommendations shortly.<br><br>The Coalition Government has already banned hundreds of new psychoactive substances. We have published guidance to support local authorities and continue to work closely with law enforcement to tackle this reckless trade.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Lewes answering member printed Norman Baker question first answered 16/10/2014 13:36:40 answering member 28 label Biography information for Norman Baker
tabling member	1575 label Biography information for Mr Jeremy Browne

91748

registered interest
date	12/09/2014
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	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has any plans to introduce legislative proposals to criminalise the legal high known as gocaine.
tabling member constituency	Gosport
tabling member printed	Caroline Dinenage
uin	209170
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/10/2014 answer text <p>I refer to the Written Ministerial Statement of 12 December 2013, Official Report, column 58WS, in which I announced that the Coalition Government would conduct a review into new psychoactive substances led by a panel of experts. I have now considered the expert panel’s report on the review. The Government will respond to the expert panel’s report and its recommendations shortly.<br><br>The Coalition Government has already banned over three hundred and fifty new psychoactive substances. We work closely with law enforcement to tackle this reckless trade.<br><br>&quot;Gocaine&quot; is a brand name used for compounds advertised as new psychoactive substances. &quot;Gocaine&quot; samples analysed through the Home Office Forensic Early Warning System (FEWS) suggest the brand is usually associated with a mixture of compounds, including methiopropamine (MPA) and methylenedioxy-2-aminiondane (MDAI). <br><br>Neither of these substances is currently controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. However, we continue to update our drug controls under that Act in response to the availability and harms of new psychoactive substances. Such controls are informed by independent expert advice through a system of regular reviews by the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) which monitors the situation in the UK, including MPA and MDAI.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Lewes answering member printed Norman Baker question first answered 16/10/2014 13:41:50 answering member 28 label Biography information for Norman Baker
tabling member	4008 label Biography information for Dame Caroline Dinenage

91194

registered interest
date	09/09/2014
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Drugs: Misuse
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many and what proportion of offenders convicted of a single offence of possession of class C drugs received (a) a discharge, (b) a fine, (c) a community order, (d) a suspended prison sentence and (e) an immediate prison sentence in the most recent year for which figures are available.
tabling member constituency	Shipley
tabling member printed	Philip Davies
uin	208715
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/10/2014 answer text <p>Drug offending is serious in itself and drug abuse also underlies a huge volume of acquisitive and violent crime which can blight communities. The independent Sentencing Council issued a sentencing guideline on drug offences, effective from February 2012, which brought sentencing guidance together for the first time to help to ensure consistent and proportionate sentencing for all drug offences that come before courts.</p><p> </p><p>Simple cautions are a non-statutory disposal available to the police to dispose of any offence committed by an adult and designed for dealing with low level, mainly first time offending.</p><p> </p><p>The Ministry of Justice issues guidance on the process to be followed by the police when they are administering simple cautions for adult offenders. The latest guidance, issued in November 2013 following the Simple Cautions Review, states that the use of a simple caution for possession of class A drugs should only be given in exceptional cases following authorisation by a senior police officer. These will be cases where there were exceptional circumstances which would mean that it was not in the public interest to prosecute.</p><p> </p><p>The Government is legislating in the Criminal Justice and Courts Bill to place statutory restrictions on the use of cautions for certain serious offences.</p><p> </p><p>The number and proportion of offenders that were sentenced at all courts of a single offence of possession for class A, B and C drugs by sentence outcome in 2013, England and Wales can be viewed in the table below.</p><p> </p><p>The number of people cautioned for possession of class A, class B and class C drugs, in England and Wales, from 2009 to 2013 (latest data available) is accessible through the Ministry of Justice website and can be viewed through the following link:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/311319/8-outcomes-by-offence.xls" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/311319/8-outcomes-by-offence.xls</a>. Under the heading “Drug Offences” there are links to tables containing information relation to possession of class A, class B and class C drugs, including the number of cautions, from 2009-2013.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Hemel Hempstead answering member printed Mike Penning grouped question UIN 208577 208710 208720 question first answered 14/10/2014 13:44:22 answering member 1528 label Biography information for Sir Mike Penning attachment 1 file name 208577, 208720, 208715, 208710 table.xls title Number of offenders sentenced
tabling member	1565 label Biography information for Sir Philip Davies