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
View on parliament.uk
Dean Ames · Metropolitan Police Service Deputy Chief Constable Jason Harwin · National Police Chiefs' Council Joy Allen
19 Jan 2022
View on parliament.uk
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
View on parliament.uk
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
4 results
Clear
8 Recommendation Acknowledged
Ninth Report - Spiking
Produce national anti-spiking communications campaign engaging night-time, education, and health sectors
As part of its national communications campaign to say “Enough” to violence against women and girls, the Government should engage with the night-time industry, the education sector, and the health sector to produce a national anti-spiking communications campaign. The awareness … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees with the recommendation and is working with policing stakeholders to promote key messages, while exploring options for further communications and outreach through the education and private sectors.
Home Office
View details
17 Conclusion Acknowledged
Ninth Report - Spiking
Concerns about false assurances from existing spiking testing kits for victims
We are pleased that the Home Office is planning a scientific review of testing kits but are concerned that in the meantime victims could get false assurances from such kits.
Government Response
The government recognises the concern about test kits providing false assurances, stating no single kit covers all drugs and urges victims to contact police for forensic analysis, mentioning ongoing evaluations and a statutory review.
Home Office
View details
19 Conclusion Acknowledged
Ninth Report - Spiking
Limited police understanding of spiker motives hinders national anti-spiking strategy development
Limited police understanding of the motives and profile of spiking offenders hampers their ability to develop a national strategy on tackling spiking.
Government Response
The Government agrees that the motivations of spiking offenders remain unclear and will consider options for research into the motivations of offenders and will also carry out a review of academic research into spiking.
Home Office
View details
20 Recommendation Acknowledged
Ninth Report - Spiking
Commission academic research into spiker motivations for national anti-spiking strategy
The Home Office should commission academic research into the motivations and profile of spikers, to feed into a national strategy for preventing, detecting and prosecuting spiking offences.
Government Response
The government agrees that offender motivations are unclear and will consider options for research into motivations, and intends to carry out a review of existing academic research into spiking.
Home Office
View details
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
Parliament page
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