Written questions by Martin.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of imposing civil rather than criminal penalties on people found in possession of drugs for personal use.

There are no plans to decriminalise illicit drug use. The law allows for the prosecution of those who commit offences, including drug possession and supply. The police have a range of alternative options within the out of court resolution framework (such as community resolutions, cautions and deferred prosecutions) to direct individuals into meaningful interventions to address their drug use, and divert them away from the criminal justice system.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of moving responsibility for drugs policy to the Department of Health and Social Care.

Responsibility for drug policy is shared across a number of departments and both the Home Office and the Department for Health and Social Care have important roles to play in setting policy to tackle drug use and to reduce drug-related crime and drug health harms. The Home Office is the lead department for the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 and associated drug legislation, working with other departments as appropriate where changes in the law are required. We have no plans to change this.Illicit drug use affects the whole of society, and this Government is taking a collective response which will help our key missions to deliver safer streets, improve health outcomes and contribute to opportunities and growth through reducing crime and saving lives.

Pursuant to the Answer of 29 November 2024 to Question 16106 on Overseas Students: Ukraine, whether students who have extended visas under the Ukraine Permission Extension scheme and whose graduation

Those granted permission under the Ukraine Permission Extension scheme will receive the same rights and entitlements to access work, benefits, healthcare and education as provided under the existing Ukraine Schemes.Individuals with permission under one of...

What steps her Department is taking to bring forward the Ukraine Permission Extension scheme.

To provide future certainty, Ukrainians who have been provided with sanctuary in the UK under the Ukraine schemes will be able to apply for further permission to remain in the UK through a bespoke Ukraine Permission Extension (UPE) scheme due to open in e...

What steps her Department is taking with police forces to tackle violence against women and girls.

This Government is determined to treat violence against women and girls as the national emergency it is and we have already taken significant steps to strengthen the police response to these devastating crimes. As part of Raneem’s Law we will put domestic...