Meeting of the Group: 29th January 2019

APPG for Drug Policy Reform - Quarterly meeting minutes

This meeting of the DPRG consisted of three elements – the business meeting of the officers of the group, a workshop with law enforcement colleagues and experts on consumption rooms and drug safety testing, and a workshop with law enforcement colleagues and experts on county lines/retail drug markets.

Officers’ Business Meeting – 9.30 to 10.00am.

Chairman – Crispin Blunt MP

Present – Jeff Smith MP, Baroness Meacher, Baroness Walmsley, Ronnie Cowan MP

In attendance – Mike Trace (Policy Advisor), Hannah Hea, Frank Warburton, Tarsilo Onoluk (Secretariat)

1. Apologies – Received from Caroline Lucas MP.

2. Minutes – The minutes of the meeting held on October 31st were noted and approved.

3. Medical Cannabis Update – Baroness Meacher gave an update on the progress (and problems with) guidance and implementation so far, the work on this issue conducted by other groups, and the likely battles to come. She suggested that our group focus on supporting campaigns to challenge the slow roll out of availability of prescriptions. Mike Trace offered to circulate a draft briefing note with a view to taking comments from officers, then circulating to the membership.

4. Policy Update – Mike Trace gave a short update on drug policy developments in a quiet period over Christmas. Officers noted that we were increasingly being approached to co-host meetings with external partners. While this adds to the secretariat workload, two events had been agreed in addition to our normal quarterly meeting:

5. 27th February – In partnership with the LSE, on the subject of Philippine government’s crackdown on drugs, and associated human rights abuses. Tarsilo will lead for the DPRG on this meeting, and will brief members in due course.

6. 6th/7th March – A workshop on the first day in partnership with Health Poverty Action, on the subject of how drug policy enforcement undermines development and human rights. Followed by an evening reception co-hosted with Chatham House and, on the second day, the OSF funded international parliamentarians’ seminar focusing on Africa and Latin America. Frank will lead on these events for the DPRG, and will brief members in due course.

7. Home Office Letter – We have had a broadly positive response to our letter to the Home and Health secretaries regarding drugs and mental health treatment. While this subject is not in our current workplan, we agreed to look at convening our next quarterly meeting in late April/early May to look at this issue in connection with diversion from the criminal justice system. Mike to discuss with PCC colleagues, and the Drugs/Alcohol/ Justice APPG.

8. Date of next meeting – To be advised following discussion with PCCs.

Round Table 1 – Drug Consumption Rooms and Drug Safety Testing

Chairman – Crispin Blunt MP

Present –

Parliamentarians: Jeff Smith MP, Baroness Meacher, Baroness Walmsley, Ronnie Cowan MP, Louise Haigh MP, Joan Ryan MP, Alison Thewliss MP, Lord Tebbitt, Baroness Uddin, Olukemi Raji – Home Office, Roz Currie – Office of Tom Shepphard MP, Dylan Redding – Office of John Woodcock MP, Mike Trace – Advisor to APPG for Drug Policy Reform, Emily Allan – Office of Ben Bradley MP, Jessica Faulkner – Office of Sharon Hodgson MP, Lord Howarth

Police Crime Commissioners & Representatives: Megan Jones – West Midlands OPCC, Sue Mountstevens – Avon & Somerset PCC, Arfon Jones – North Wales PCC, Jason Kew – Thames Valley Police, Anya Ward – West Midlands OPCC, Zeynab Gamieldien – Warwickshire OPCC

Other Attendees: Lizzie McCulloch – Volteface, Hardeep Matharu – Volteface. Steve Moffat – Addaction, Adrian Crossley – Centre for Social Justice, Olivia Gordon – Oakhill Communications, Martin Powell – Transform, Ellie Jack – UCL MSc Student, Niamh Eastwood – Release, Naomi Burke-Shyre – Harm Reduction International, Paul Andell – University of Suffolk, Richard Hanford – Drugs, Alcohol & Justice Group

This round table was convened to provide space for participants to share experience of developing or implementing these ‘next generation’ harm reduction initiatives, and in particular attempts to get central government support or approval. There was general agreement that both models of public health service provision had the potential to save lives, and an emerging but strong evidence base. Attempts had been made to get Home Office endorsement, or at least acceptance of local initiatives as pilots, but with limited success so far.

Discussion was varied, and attendees discussed in detail the issues around devolved nations and whether this work should sit within health which those in Scotland and Wales have more control over. Evidence and examples were given by experts of instances in other countries where these harm reduction methods had been implemented. It was agreed that a group of local proponents, and concerned parliamentarians, would discuss next steps in seeking a more positive response.

Round Table 2 – County Lines/Retail Drug Markets

Chairman – Crispin Blunt MP

Present –

Recent concerns around County Lines have cast light on the growing levels of violence, and exploitation of children, associated with local drug markets. We heard presentations from Neil Woods (former undercover policeman), John Henley (West Midlands Police) and Barak Ariel (Cambridge University) on what is currently known about the way the illicit market operates, and how law enforcement activity can reduce or increase the associated harms. Discussion focused on the need to avoid unstrategic law enforcement clampdowns that only led to increased violence and risk, and the potential of local strategies that created disincentives for organised crime to prey on vulnerable people, and addressed the factors that push or pull young people into drug dealing. Discussion also highlighted the need for better education around this, and the potential link to county lines and school exclusions. This was an opportunity for the DPRG to emphasise, alongside law enforcement officers, the need for an evidence based approach to drug policy and the multiple benefits of pursuing a public health approach to drugs. No specific actions were agreed on this topic.

Frank WarburtonJanuary 6, 2020