§ Mr. McMasterTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps he has recently taken to discourage the abuse and illegal use of the drugs commonly known as "jellies"; what evidence he has received associating such misuse with crime; and if he will make a statement.
§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonThe misuse of Temazepam capsules, sometimes referred to as "jellies", is a matter of continuing concern and, at the Government's request, the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs has conducted a detailed examination of the problem. The council has recommended that Temazepam should be rescheduled from schedule 4 to schedule 3 of the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 1985. This would place more stringent controls on the production, storage and distribution of the drug; require doctors to handwrite all prescriptions; and create an offence of unlawful possession. The Government are presently considering the outcome of a wide consultation exercise on the possibility of rescheduling and will reach a decision on the matter shortly.
The Chief Medical Officer at the Scottish Office has had discussions with directors of public health, and action has now been taken in a number of health board areas, for example by the introduction of voluntary bans or restrictions on prescribing and by raising the awareness of doctors of the implications of misuse. It is too early to assess the effects of these local measures.
Drug misuse is closely associated with a wide range of criminal behaviour; and police reports indicate that the misuse of Temazepam is no exception.