§ Baroness Anelay of St Johnsasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they are satisfied that the list of controlled drugs is sufficiently comprehensive to deal with the range of designer drugs now offered for sale on the Internet; and, if not, what are their plans to address the problem. [HL1412]
§ Lord Williams of MostynThe majority of so-called designer drugs are controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 by means of a generic definition which covers at least 145 known phenethylamine-derived substances.
The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs keeps drugs misuse in the United Kingdom under review and it has advised that, even though there is currently little evidence of their misuse in this country, a further 34 phenethylamine-derived substances which are not covered by the generic definition should be brought under the 1971 Act's controls. We are currently considering the recommendation.
§ Baroness Anelay of St Johnsasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they are satisfied that the police and the Crown Prosecution Service have sufficient power to deal with the offer to supply drugs made on the Internet, in particular where that offer to supply originates from outside the United Kingdom. [HL1413]
§ Lord Williams of MostynIt is an offence under Section 4 of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 for a person in the United Kingdom to offer to supply a controlled drug. The medium by which the offer is made is immaterial. An offer to supply a controlled drug from abroad will not normally be an offence in United Kingdom law, but it will be an offence to import it without the requisite licence or authority.