Spiking

Home Affairs Committee Closed Inquiry
Opened: 9 Dec 2021 Closed: 1 Feb 2024 Parliament page
As part of the Committee’s overarching work into violence against women and girls , the Committee wishes to explore the incidence of spiking at nightclubs and pubs, festivals and private house parties. Read the terms of reference for more detail about this work. As part of this inquiry, the Committee … Read more
11 Recommendations
11 Conclusions
1 Report
3 Oral sessions
6 Letters
3 Events
Activity timeline 14 events
1 Feb
2023
Correspondence
11 Jan
2023
Correspondence
30 Nov
2022
Correspondence
4 Nov
2022
Correspondence
7 Sep
2022
Correspondence
7 Sep
2022
Correspondence
4 Jul
2022
Report published
26 Apr
2022
Report published
26 Jan
2022
Oral evidence
26 Jan
2022
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Room 16, Palace of Westminster
19 Jan
2022
Oral evidence
19 Jan
2022
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Room 15, Palace of Westminster
Oral evidence sessions 3 sessions
26 Jan 2022
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Dean Ames · Metropolitan Police Service Deputy Chief Constable Jason Harwin · National Police Chiefs' Council Joy Allen
19 Jan 2022
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Councillor Jeanie Bell Dr Adrian Boyle · Royal College of Emergency Medicine Jade Quittenton · St John Ambulance Michael Kill · Night Time Industries Association Paul Fullwood · Security Industry Authority
12 Jan 2022
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Alexi Skitinis Dawn Dines · Stamp Out Spiking Hannah Stratton Helena Conibear · The Alcohol Education Trust Julie Spencer · The University of Lincoln Zara Owen
Title HC No. Published Items Response
Ninth Report - Spiking HC 967 26 Apr 2022 22 Responded
Recommendations & Conclusions
6 results
Clear
1 Recommendation Accepted
Ninth Report - Spiking
Mandate compulsory safeguarding training for all staff, including vendors, at music festivals.
We recommend that all staff working at music festivals, including vendors, be given compulsory safeguarding training, and this be a requirement that licensing authorities consider when approving events. This might be done along lines similar to training provided in voluntary … Read more
Government Response
The government rejected mandating compulsory safeguarding training for all festival staff but committed to reviewing the Section 182 guidance of the Licensing Act 2003 to advise licensing committees to consider staff safeguarding training when approving event licences.
Home Office
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4 Recommendation Accepted
Ninth Report - Spiking
Improve reporting mechanisms and data collection on spiking incidents across the UK
We call on the Home Office to increase education and awareness about spiking and welcome its considering whether a specific new offence of spiking is required. We urge the Home Office, however, to focus its efforts first on improving reporting … Read more
Government Response
The government committed to increasing education and awareness about spiking by integrating it into the 'Enough' campaign and working with law enforcement and venues to ensure clear messaging for victims regarding forensics and reporting.
Home Office
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6 Conclusion Accepted
Ninth Report - Spiking
Recognised criminal offence of spiking would provide multiple benefits
The existence of a spiking offence would not in and of itself stop spiking, but it would have several benefits. First, it would facilitate police work under way to identify perpetrators and patterns of offending by enabling the police to … Read more
Government Response
The government committed to reviewing the guidance issued under Section 182 of the Licensing Act 2003 to consider whether to require licensing authorities to address the prevalence, prevention, and reporting of sexual harassment, misconduct, and gender-based violence in their local licensing policies.
Home Office
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7 Conclusion Accepted
Ninth Report - Spiking
Urgent need for improved education and awareness around spiking across sectors
There is an urgent need for improved education and awareness around spiking across several sectors. (Paragraph 47) 40 Spiking
Government Response
The government intends to conduct reviews of international activity, academic research, and anti-spiking initiatives, publishing a final report by 28 April 2023 featuring best practice case studies. They will also consider requiring police and local authorities to present an anti-spiking mission statement.
Home Office
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15 Conclusion Accepted
Ninth Report - Spiking
Inadequate accessibility to testing and forensic capacity for spiking victims
Accessibility to testing is an issue for many victims and the lack of forensic testing capacity creates evidential difficulties for the police.
Government Response
The government already established an accredited rapid urine testing service in partnership with Eurofins in Autumn 2021 and will continue it throughout 2022, with plans to improve it in 2023.
Home Office
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16 Recommendation Accepted
Ninth Report - Spiking
Introduce duty on all police forces to provide rapid spiking testing service
To ensure adequate, timely provision of forensic sampling of a standard sufficient to be admissible as evidence in court, the Government should introduce a duty on all police forces to provide those who report any spiking incident with the rapid … Read more
Government Response
The government states that law enforcement, in partnership with Eurofins, already established a rapid urine testing service in response to needle spiking, which has been open to all spiking samples since January 2022 and will be developed further in 2023.
Home Office
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Government Response AI assessment · 22 of 11 classified
Accepted 6
Accepted in Part 2
Acknowledged 4
Deferred 8
Not Addressed 1
Rejected 1
Total 11 recs + 11 conclusions
Correspondence 6 letters
1 Feb 2023 To committee Letter from the Minister for Safeguarding on the Government's work to tackle spiking, dated 30 January 2023
Parliament page
11 Jan 2023 To committee Letter from Minister for Safeguarding on the Government's update to the Home Affairs Committee on the creation of a specific criminal offence for Spiking and the Committee's other recommendations, dated 20 December 2022
Parliament page
30 Nov 2022 To committee Letter from Home Secretary on introducing a criminal offence for spiking, dated 22 November 2022
Parliament page
4 Nov 2022 From committee Letter to the Home Secretary on introducing a criminal offence for spiking, dated 4 November 2022
Parliament page
7 Sep 2022 To committee Letter from the Home Secretary on the Government’s response to the Home Affairs Select Committee’s Report on Spiking, dated 15 August 2022
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7 Sep 2022 From committee Letter to the Home Secretary on the Government’s response to the Home Affairs Select Committee’s Report on Spiking, dated 20 July 2022
Parliament page