Synthetic cannabinoids are controlled as Class B drugs under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. There is a maximum penalty of five years\u2019 imprisonment, an unlimited fine, or both for possession of a Class B drug and 14 years\u2019 imprisonment, an unlimited fine, or both, for the supply and production of a Class B drug.<\/p>
There was a total of 281 convictions for the principal offence of possession of synthetic cannabinoids in 2018, up from 71 convictions in 2017 and no convictions in 2016. For the principal offences of either supply, possession with intent to supply or production of synthetic cannabinoids there were 18 convictions in 2018, up from 4 convictions in 2017 and 4 convictions in 2016.<\/p>
The Government has commissioned the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) to provide an updated harms assessment on their previous reports on synthetic cannabinoids. The commission also seeks recommendations on whether the current classification under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 of synthetic cannabinoids is appropriate. The advice is due in summer 2020. The full commission has been published online on the gov.uk website.
The Government will await the ACMD\u2019s further advice and recommendations<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1561", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Mr Nick Hurd"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Mr Nick Hurd"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-07-24", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-07-24T16:00:51.78Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2019-07-22", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Synthetic Cannabinoids: 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 effectiveness of the penalties incurred for (a) possession and (b) supply and production of synthetic cannabinoids.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4663", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Ben Bradley"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Mansfield"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Ben Bradley"}
], "uin" : "280381"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1140868", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department of Health and Social Care"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1140868/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
In prison, patients presenting with problematic psychoactive substance use are assessed in the same way as other drug users and offered an appropriate range of psychosocial interventions.<\/p>
In April 2018, NHS England and NHS Improvement published its updated service specification on \u2018Integrated Substance Misuse Treatment Service in Prisons in England\u2019. This is fully aligned to \u2018Drug Misuse and Dependence: UK Guidelines on Clinical Management\u2019, which sets out how clinicians should treat people with drug misuse and drug dependence problems.<\/p>
The service specification describes a fully recovery orientated, integrated prison substance misuse treatment service, which covers traditional drugs of abuse, psychoactive substances (including synthetic cannabis), illicit abuse of prescribed and over the counter drugs and alcohol.<\/p>
This improved substance misuse service offer is now being commissioned across all prisons and secures integration with mental health services so that growing numbers of people in prisons can access services to support their recovery and wellbeing.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4065", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Dame Jackie Doyle-Price"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Thurrock"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Jackie Doyle-Price"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-07-25", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-07-25T16:15:47.693Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "17"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2019-07-22", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Prisoners: Synthetic Cannabinoids"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what programmes there are in prisons to provide support for prisoners with synthetic cannabis drug dependency.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4663", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Ben Bradley"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Mansfield"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Ben Bradley"} ], "uin" : "280382"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1132879", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Cabinet Office"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1132879/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The Public Bodies 2018/19 report, published on 22 March 2019, sets out the gross resource expenditure of
the 301 arm\u2019s length bodies which include all executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies as well
as non-ministerial departments, the latter of which are not included in the 406 bodies listed on gov.uk. As of
31 March 2018, the gross resource expenditure was £203.8 billion. Further information on how this cost is
broken down per organisation across services provided, running costs of the organisation and other costs
can be obtained from the organisations directly<\/p>
The annual cost to the public purse of the other public bodies listed on the gov.uk website is not held
centrally.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4451", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Kevin Foster"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Torbay"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Kevin Foster"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-06-26", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-06-26T15:46:05.5Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "53"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Cabinet Office"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Cabinet Office"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2019-06-18", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Public Bodies"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the annual cost to the public purse of the 406 agencies and other public bodies listed on the gov.uk website is.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4663", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Ben Bradley"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Mansfield"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Ben Bradley"}
], "uin" : "266186"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1123105", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department of Health and Social Care"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1123105/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
We are committed to ensuring all adults and children receive a timely autism diagnosis in line with National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance.<\/p>
<\/p>
The NHS Long Term Plan was published on 7 January 2019. The Plan commits to improving autism diagnostic pathways in England and ensuring autistic people have access to high-quality care and support in the community. Over the next three years, autism diagnosis will be included alongside work with children and young people\u2019s mental health services to test and implement the most effective ways to reduce waiting times for specialist services. This will be a step towards achieving timely diagnostic assessments in line with best practice guidelines.<\/p>
<\/p>
The Department is determined to drive up performance on autism diagnosis nationally. To support this NHS Digital began formally collecting autism diagnosis waiting time data, including information on gender, from mental health provider trusts for the first time through the Mental Health Services Data set in April 2018.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4008", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Dame Caroline Dinenage"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Gosport"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Caroline Dinenage"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-05-02", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-05-02T13:44:47.943Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "17"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2019-04-25", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Autism: Females"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent steps his Department has taken to improve the diagnosis of autism in women.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4663", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Ben Bradley"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Mansfield"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Ben Bradley"} ], "uin" : "247783"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1121744", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Home Office"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1121744/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
We know that there is a strong link between drug misuse and offending, and offenders who use heroin and crack cocaine are estimated to commit 45% of all acquisitive crime.<\/p>
The Government recognises that there are strong links between drug misuse and offending. Our Drug Strategy is clear that supporting people to address their dependence on drugs through treatment and recovery support is critical to tackling the risk of reoffending. This includes the use of health-based, rehabilitative interventions within the criminal justice system to help prevent further substance misuse and offending.<\/p>
In addition, I chair the National Retail Crime Steering Group which brings together key partners to drive forward progress on tackling retail crime.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4399", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Victoria Atkins"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Louth and Horncastle"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Victoria Atkins"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-05-07", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-05-07T15:59:34.46Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2019-04-18", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Drugs: Crime"} , "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, what recent assessment he has made of the potential links between retail crime incidents and illegal drug use.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4663", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Ben Bradley"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Mansfield"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Ben Bradley"} ], "uin" : "245982"} ], "itemsPerPage" : 10, "page" : 0, "startIndex" : 1, "totalResults" : 5, "type" : ["http://purl.org/linked-data/api/vocab#ListEndpoint", "http://purl.org/linked-data/api/vocab#Page"]} }