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DELEGATED LEGISLATION
Mr. Deputy Speaker (Mr. Michael Lord): With permission, I shall put together the motions relating to delegated legislation.
Mr. Deputy Speaker: In that case, I shall put the Questions separately.
DELEGATED LEGISLATION
Motion made, and Question put forthwith, pursuant to Standing Order No. 118(6) (Standing Committees on Delegated Legislation),
Terms and Conditions of Employment
- That the draft Part-time Workers (Prevention of Less Favourable Treatment) Regulations 2000, which were laid before this House on 3rd May, be approved.--[Mr. Clelland.]
Motion made, and Question put forthwith, pursuant to Standing Order No. 118(6) (Standing Committees on Delegated Legislation),
London Government
- That the draft Greater London Authority (Miscellaneous Amendments) Order 2000, which was laid before this House on 19th April, be approved.--[Mr. Clelland.]
Motion made, and Question put forthwith, pursuant to Standing Order No. 118(6) (Standing Committees on Delegated Legislation),
Constitutional Law
- That the draft Scotland Act 1998 (Modification of Functions) Order 2000, which was laid before this House on 8th May, be approved.--[Mr. Clelland.]
Motion made, and Question put forthwith, pursuant to Standing Order No. 118(6) (Standing Committees on Delegated Legislation),
Constitutional Law
- That the draft Scotland Act 1998 (Transfer of Functions to Scottish Ministers etc.) Order 2000, which was laid before this House on 8th May, be approved.--[Mr. Clelland.]
PETITIONS
Post Offices (North-West Leicestershire)
10.44 pm
Mr. David Taylor (North-West Leicestershire): As a member of a family who ran the post office in my home village for most of the last century, I am well aware of major concerns about the future of sub-post offices in communities throughout North-West Leicestershire, including those from the Meadow Lane area of Coalville and from the village of Packington. There are 822 petitioners from North-West Leicestershire who believe that sub-post offices are under threat, and could be forced to close by Government changes in the way in which state benefits are paid. The petition states:
- The Petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons do take whatever action may be necessary to secure the future of the sub post office network in North West Leicestershire and the United Kingdom.
And the petitioners remain etc.
Public Swimming Pools
10.45 pm
Mrs. Louise Ellman (Liverpool, Riverside): The petition, which has been signed by approximately 2,000 people, calls for better regulation and enforcement of safety in swimming pools that are used by the public. It arises from the tragic deaths of two of my constituents, Vanessa Gregson and Tsham Kamara aged 19 and seven, at Honeycomb manor park in Cornwall on 20 May 1999. I hope that the petition results in improved safety at our swimming pools. The petition of residents of Liverpool
- declares that the deaths of two Liverpool girls in a holiday swimming pool could have been prevented by a tighter regulatory framework on swimming pools and its proper enforcement.
The petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urge the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions to introduce new strict regulations on swimming pools to provide for the vigorous enforcement of these laws and to establish very serious penalties for any pool owner who breaches them.
And the petitioners remain etc.
Gammahydroxybutyrate
Motion made, and Question proposed, That this House do now adjourn.--[Mr. Clelland.]
10.46 pm
Mr. Ben Chapman (Wirral, South): I am delighted to have secured the Adjournment debate on this important subject. For some time, I have had concerns about the drug gammahydroxybutyrate, which I shall call GHB. Its use and availability represents a serious danger. It should be reclassified as a class A drug for two reasons: first, because of its possible deadly effects when used as a recreational drug, particularly if mixed with alcohol or other drugs; and secondly, because of its use as a date-rape drug.
The drug was first formulated in the 1960s by a French chemist, and was developed in the United States as a pre-surgery anaesthetic. For that reason, it was dealt with under the Medicines Act 1968, rather than the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. It has never been licensed in the UK for medicinal purposes. Only two companies, both in Germany, are licensed to manufacture the substance in the European Union. However, it is easy to make in kitchens, garages or wherever, once the precursor chemical gammabutyrolactone is obtained.
The internet is packed with sites telling people how to mix the drug. It became more popular as a recreational drug in the 1980s. It was used by bodybuilders to promote muscle growth, and by athletes to provide a shorter recovery time between training sessions. It was also used as a sleep improver. It gained a reputation for offering a pleasant alcohol-like effect, but without a hangover. It also became known for its potent pro-sexual effects.
By the 1990s, the drug was prevalent in the night club circuit in the United States and it became widely recognised as a dangerous drug there. It was recognised as such by the American police, who believed it to be cheap, easy to make, and affording vast profits to illegal drug suppliers. Indeed, its dangers came more and more to the fore when it was popularised in the United States television programme "ER", which featured an episode with two students mixing it with alcohol. Fortunately, although they fell into a coma, on that occasion they were saved by medics.
The drug was banned in many states. It was, I am pleased to say, banned nationally by President Clinton on 18 February. He has now agreed to classify it as a schedule 1 drug, which is defined as having
- a high potential for abuse and no currently accepted use in medical treatment,
Warnings are often wrong. One site states that too high a dose can result in a "harmless coma." How devastatingly wrong such a phrase is. The drug, commonly known as liquid gold or liquid ecstasy because of its ability to produce euphoria, albeit transiently, can cause cardiac arrest and stop people breathing, especially when taken in large doses.
Reports of the effects of GHB are at least consistent, in that they mention nausea, vomiting, convulsions, coma and respiratory collapse depending on the amounts taken. With alcohol its dangers increase. Taken with a few pints it can result in coma and death. There have been many reports of deaths in the United States. So far only four deaths have been reported in the United Kingdom, but that is four deaths too many.
One of those deaths was that of a Wirral man, Ian Hignett, who was the son of constituents of mine. Ian was a 27-year-old working man with good prospects and a full life ahead of him. He was introduced to GHB by friends who believed that there was no danger in taking the substance. He was fit: he was a healthy sportsman. He worked hard during the week, and at weekends liked to unwind with friends with a few drinks and maybe visit a nightclub. He had had no connection with drugs before that night in December 1998 when he died. Like so many others, he just wanted a good innocent night out at the weekend with friends.
As reported at the subsequent inquest, Mr. Hignett and his friends had taken a quantity of GHB on top of four cans of lager and a shared bottle of Aussie white. Ian felt unwell, lapsed into unconsciousness and died choking on his own vomit. The forensic report concluded from toxicology tests that the level of GHB in conjunction with alcohol was sufficient to be responsible for his death. The official cause of death is recorded as gammahydroxybutyrate and alcohol toxicity.
Mr. Hignett's friends were luckier. Although affected by vomiting, they did not pass out. It is possible that Mr. Hignett took an impure dose, or that the quantity was greater than advertised on the canister. I am told that those are common occurrences.
When recording a verdict of misadventure, the Wirral coroner was moved to say:
- This is a dreadful and unnecessary loss of life. I will invite the Home Office and Department of Health to give serious consideration to having the drug reclassified under the Misuse of Drugs Act. This is a matter of some concern.
Mr. Hignett's mother, to whom I spoke yesterday, shares the view that I have just expressed. Recently, she made a similar plea in a local newspaper article.
In addition to the deaths, there have been a number of near deaths across the country. The national poisons intelligence section of the Medicines Control Agency has seen calls from London to Lancashire, and from Hull to south Wales, relating to individuals who have suffered strong after effects from taking GHB, including coma. In 1998, seven people were taken to intensive care in Bolton on the same night following the usage of GHB. In my view, the evidence is clearly mounting up. The dangers of GHB as a recreational drug are becoming clearer all the time.
I want to say something about the dangers of the drug in relation to date rape. The American experience shows that GHB is in the same bracket as the already proscribed Rohypnol. One of its effects is a marked increase in libido and a lowering of inhibition. Those facts are trumpeted across the internet.
The fact that GHB is available in a clear odourless form makes it lethal for the unsuspecting victim. In the USA, and I suspect in the UK, it has been used to sedate women before they are sexually assaulted. A few drops slipped into a drink can cause unconsciousness within 20 minutes, and victims often have no memory of what has happened. It is also difficult to detect, as it metabolises quickly in the body.
A report in the January edition of Cosmopolitan magazine suggests that more than 1,000 women in the UK have reported being raped while drugged. Cosmopolitan claims that four out of five of those cases have GHB as their cause. The report highlights in disturbing interviews the horrific experiences of many victims.
The view of Detective Chief Inspector Matthews of the Wirral division of Merseyside police, an officer who has researched GHB in some depth and to whom I am indebted, adds weight to the serious concerns when he says that GHB is more dangerous and more widely available than Rohypnol. I believe that a pattern is clearly emerging from the evidence of the past few years, both here and abroad.
GHB has caused a number of deaths. There have been many near-death incidents and its use both recreational and as a date rape drug is increasing. It is slowly seeping into the consciousness of the public. Information and education to correct the misconceptions surrounding GHB must play a part. Many people who use the drug are not aware of its dangers. Ian Hignett certainly was not. Others read and believe what they see on the internet. Often, the information can be misleading or simply wrong. We must understand that the power of the medium can be marvellous when it disseminates good information, but that when it disseminates false information, it can be literally deadly. Many sites that promote GHB claim that it can improve memory, stimulate growth, reduce drug and alcohol withdrawal symptoms, reduce learning and hyperactive disability in children, relieve anxiety and even lower cholesterol. At the same time, they play down and do not mention the dangers--and dangers there are.
Concern is rising, and I know from the answers to the many questions that I have asked in the House that those concerns are shared by the Government. I understand that there has perhaps been a lack of hard evidence. Much of the evidence has been circumstantial, and that is inevitably so. I understand, too, that the Government are proceeding on the basis of science, and I am not unhappy about that, of course. However, I await with great interest the results of the three studies currently being undertaken. I understand that the Home Office review of the law on sexual offences has been completed and that conclusions are close to publication. The Metropolitan police report sponsored by the Home Office on drug-assisted rape is also complete, I understand, and the launch is scheduled for 21 June.
The recent referral, supported by the Government, of GHB to the European monitoring centre for drugs and drug addiction for a risk assessment is welcome news, and I know that its findings are expected to be concluded by mid-October. Such scientific studies are important, but there comes a time when studies need to stop and action needs to be taken, and October may be too long.
With all that in mind, I ask my hon. Friend the Minister to ensure that there is a speedy and positive response in terms of reclassification of GHB, should the results of the
studies or any other evidence suggest that such action is merited, as I am sure they will. I believe strongly that the evidence for proscribing the drug is becoming overwhelming, and that the sooner that it is banned, the better.
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