§ Mr. WatersonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what advice he has recently received from his Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs concerning hypnotics; what conclusions he has reached in the light of any such advice; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. MacleanThe Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs has recently considered the misuse of the hypnotic temazepam. In November 1992 the Council recommended in principle that temazepam should be rescheduled from schedule 4 to schedule 3 to the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 1985, a stricter regime of control.
The Home Office subsequently carried out a public consultation exercise on this proposal. The advisory council has now considered the responses to this consultation, and we are currently studying its conclusions.