§ Mr. Lawlerasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action the Government propose to take to deal with the potential problem of designer drugs.
§ Mr. MellorThe Government are grateful to the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs for its prompt and thorough examination of this problem. In the light of advice from the council, and following consultations with the interested trade and professional bodies, we propose to counter the serious threat which these substances pose by extending the controls of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 3W and its regulations to cover certain uncontrolled analogues of the drugs fentanyl and pethidine. As a first step, the necessary modification order is being laid before Parliament today. If approved by both Houses, the new controls would come into operation on 1 April 1987.