Recommendation SP13: Regulation of castor bean sales
From The Southport Inquiry Report: Phase 1, published 13 April 2026.
Recommendation
The Home Office’s ongoing review of the sale of castor beans should consider regulation of the number of castor beans that can be sold in a single transaction.
In brief (written by this site)
Dan Jarvis, Minister of State for Security, announced in September 2026 that the government intends to launch a six-week public consultation during the Conference Recess regarding proposed amendments to the Poisons Act 1972, seeking views on measures to strengthen public safety and national security (Dan Jarvis, Sep 2026). Earlier, HM Government stated in July 2026 that the Home Office completed the recommended review in May 2026 (Home Office response, Jul 2026).
AI-generated summary of the record on this page, checked by a second model and automatic checks, 26 Sep 2026. The record below is the sources' own words.
Government response
The Home Office is the lead department and completed the recommended review in May 2026. Next steps are set out at paragraph 59.
Blanket government agreement does not establish acceptance or delivery by each addressee. Some response passages cover groups of recommendations.
Scope of the government response
The government's response to Phase 1 (CP 1623, 2 July 2026) agreed with all 67 recommendations in one sentence, and names only 39 of them individually. Where a recommendation is not named, the response shown is the passage the response gives for the group it belongs to (the recommendations for organisations outside central government, or the recommendations to policing bodies), which is not a response to that recommendation alone; the response does not list the members of any group. The 10 recommendations for Phase 2 of the Inquiry to consider show no response: the response introduces them (paragraph 20) but answers none of them. The government accepts the recommendations that are for central government to deliver. Where a recommendation is for an organisation outside central government, the government's agreement is not that organisation's acceptance.
Delivery
Home Office says in progress (15 September 2026)
Today I announce the Government's intention to launch a six-week public consultation regarding proposed amendments to the Poisons Act 1972. This process will seek views from the public on several changes that are intended to strengthen public safety and national security and is expected to launch during the Conference Recess. The proposals support the Government’s commitment to respond decisively to the findings of the Southport Inquiry, particularly by strengthening controls where substances present a clear risk. They also form part of a broader approach to reducing access to means of harm in a proportionate way.
From: Consultation on amendments to the Poisons Act 1972, Dan Jarvis, Minister of State for Security
Responsible bodies
Themes and tags
Who has spoken
- Home Office
Response, delivery statement