Home / Sources / Select Committees / Home Affairs Committee / Spiking
Index live
Select Committee · Home Affairs Committee

Spiking

Status: Closed Opened: 9 Dec 2021 Closed: 1 Feb 2024 11 recommendations 11 conclusions 1 report

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 launched a public survey to … Show more

Clear

Reports

1 report
Title HC No. Published Items Response
Ninth Report - Spiking HC 967 26 Apr 2022 22 Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

4 items
8 Recommendation Ninth Report - Spiking Acknowledged

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 raising campaign should: (i) send a clear message that there … Read more

Government response AI summary
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.
Read full response →
Home Office
17 Conclusion Ninth Report - Spiking Acknowledged

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 AI summary
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.
Read full response →
Home Office
19 Conclusion Ninth Report - Spiking Acknowledged

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 AI summary
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.
Read full response →
Home Office
20 Recommendation Ninth Report - Spiking Acknowledged

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 AI summary
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.
Read full response →
Home Office

Oral evidence sessions

3 sessions
Date Witnesses
26 Jan 2022 Dean Ames · Metropolitan Police Service, Deputy Chief Constable Jason Harwin · National Police Chiefs' Council, Joy Allen View ↗
19 Jan 2022 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 View ↗
12 Jan 2022 Alexi Skitinis, Dawn Dines · Stamp Out Spiking, Hannah Stratton, Helena Conibear · The Alcohol Education Trust, Julie Spencer · The University of Lincoln, Zara Owen View ↗

Who gave evidence

14 witnesses
WitnessOrganisationSessions
Alexi Skitinis — 1
Councillor Jeanie Bell — 1
Dawn Dines · Chief Executive Officer Stamp Out Spiking 1
Dean Ames · Forensic Drugs Operations Manager Metropolitan Police Service 1
Deputy Chief Constable Jason Harwin · Lead for Drugs National Police Chiefs' Council 1
Dr Adrian Boyle · President Royal College of Emergency Medicine 1
Hannah Stratton — 1
Helena Conibear · Chief Executive Officer The Alcohol Education Trust 1
Jade Quittenton · Night time economy lead St John Ambulance 1
Joy Allen — 1
Julie Spencer · Head of Student Wellbeing The University of Lincoln 1
Michael Kill · Chief Executive Officer Night Time Industries Association 1
Paul Fullwood · Director of Inspections and Enforcement Security Industry Authority 1
Zara Owen — 1

Correspondence

6 letters
DateDirectionTitle
1 Feb 2023 To cttee Letter from the Minister for Safeguarding on the Government's work to tackle sp…
11 Jan 2023 To cttee Letter from Minister for Safeguarding on the Government's update to the Home Af…
30 Nov 2022 To cttee Letter from Home Secretary on introducing a criminal offence for spiking, dated…
4 Nov 2022 From cttee Letter to the Home Secretary on introducing a criminal offence for spiking, dat…
7 Sep 2022 To cttee Letter from the Home Secretary on the Government’s response to the Home Affair…
7 Sep 2022 From cttee Letter to the Home Secretary on the Government’s response to the Home Affairs …