§ Mr. AshleyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if his Department has evidence of misuse on any of the benzodiazepines;
(2) if he or his officials have had discussions with the United Nations officials involved with the United Nations convention on psychotropic substances regarding the reports of misuse of benzodiazepines in other countries; and if he will make a statement;
(3) whether the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs has recommended adding benzodiazepines to the list of drugs controlled by the Misuse of Drugs Act.
§ Mr. Douglas HoggThere is evidence that some benzodiazepine drugs, particularly temazepam, are subject to misuse. Neither my right hon. Friend nor I, or Home Office officials, have had recent discussions with United Nations officials about the misuse of benzodiazepines in other counties, but we are kept fully informed by them about world trends in drug abuse. On 1 April 1986, in preparation for the United Kingdom's ratification of the United Nations convention on psychotropic substances 1971 and following consultation with the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs, 33 benzodiazepine drugs, including temazepam, were brought within the controls of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 as class C drugs. We are keeping this classification under review.