Controlled Drugs (Procedure for Specification) Bill

The Controlled Drugs (Procedure for Specification) Bill 2024-25, sponsored by Alex McIntyre (Labour), had its second reading on 7 March 2025. The bill was considered in Public Bill Committee on 25 June 2025.

The bill’s long title says that it would “change the procedure for amending Schedule 2 to the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.”

The purpose of the bill is to change the procedure used to classify controlled drugs in the UK, to allow the government to make changes to this legislation more quickly.

The bill has government support and is accompanied by explanatory notes (PDF), prepared by the Home Office with the consent of Alex McIntyre.

Controlled drugs legislation in the UK

In the UK, controlled drugs are substances that are considered to be harmful to human health and are subject to legal controls. The Library briefing Misuse of drugs: regulation and enforcement provides information on UK drug laws.

Classification and scheduling of drugs

Under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, substances are categorised in schedule 2 as Class A, Class B or Class drugs, according to their potential harm.

The Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001 set out exceptions that allow the lawful possession and use of certain controlled drugs for medical, dental and veterinary use. The regulations categorise substances into five schedules, according to their medical usefulness and the potential harms of misuse.

The overall aim of the bill is to allow the government to make changes to schedule 2 of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 more quickly, and to allow corresponding changes to the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001 to be made at the same time.

To do this, the bill would amend section 2 of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, which sets out the government’s delegated powers to amend schedule 2 to add or remove, or change the classification of a drug.  

The bill would change the form of statutory instrument used to make changes from an Order in Council to regulations made by the Secretary of State. It would also allow these statutory instruments to be combined with others, so that corresponding changes to the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001 can be made using a single statutory instrument.

Progress of the bill in the House of Commons

The bill was considered in Public Bill Committee on 25 June 2025. The bill received cross-party support, and the Minister for Policing and Crime Prevention, Dame Diana Johnson, confirmed that the bill had government support. No amendments were made. Report stage has been scheduled for 11 July 2025.