International Drugs Conference Homerton College, Cambridge
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House of Commons Home Affairs Committee International Drugs Conference Homerton College, Cambridge Thursday 12 March 2015 Welcome 12th March 2015 Welcome to the Home Affairs Committee’s conference on Drugs Policy. At the end of 2011, the Committee embarked on its first major inquiry into drugs in over a decade. The outcome of that inquiry, Drugs: Breaking the Cycle, recommended a fundamental rethink of the government’s approach to drugs, focusing first and foremost on minimising the damage caused to the victims of drug-related crime, drug users and others. We must recognise that the UK government cannot do this on its own: the global nature of the drugs trade, and the potential for displacement of drug cultivation and supply routes in response to law enforcement measures, mean that the international drug trade can only ever be tackled effectively by co- operative, coordinated international efforts. New challenges continue to emerge. The rise in new psychoactive substances presents a major challenge for legislators and law enforces alike, and enforcing the ban on khat will pose a number of problems for police forces. The United Nations General Assembly Special Session in 2016 represents a major opportunity to build international alliances to tackle these difficult issues at the global level. I would like to thank everybody who has given up their time to participate in the conference today. I am delighted that Rt Hon Lynne Featherstone MP, the Minister of State for Crime Prevention, has agreed to deliver our keynote speech, and I am particularly grateful to those of you who have come here either on your way to or from the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs Meeting in Vienna. As the 2010 Parliament draws to a close, the findings from this conference will influence the Home Affairs Committee’s agenda in the next Parliament. Rt Hon Keith Vaz MP, Chairman of the Committee Programme Registration and coffee from midday 1.00 pm Welcome by Rt Hon Keith Vaz MP, Committee Chair 1.10 pm The Select Committee’s work to date, Dr Julian Huppert MP 1.25 pm UN General Assembly Special Session 2016: the World Drug Problem Baroness Meacher, Chair, APPG on Drug Policy Reform Dr Roberto Dondisch, Director General of Global Issues, Ministry of For- eign Affairs, Mexico Danny Kushlick, founder and Head of External Affairs, Transform Drug Policy Foundation 1.50 pm Keynote Speech by Rt Hon Lynne Featherstone MP, Minister of State for Crime Prevention, Home Office Panel discussion and Q&A 2.30 pm Drugs, health and social harm Professor David Nutt, Imperial College London, Chair and founder of the Independent Scientific Committee on Drugs Sarah Graham, addictions therapist and member of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs Professor Neil McKeganey PhD, Centre for Drug Misuse Research Panel discussion and Q&A 3.15 pm Tea, coffee and cakes in the Combination Room 4.00 pm Drugs, crime and policing Tom Lloyd QPM, former Chief Constable of Cambridgeshire and interna- tional drugs policy adviser Ron Hogg, Police and Crime Commissioner for Durham Chief Constable Andy Bliss QPM (Hertfordshire), ACPO National Lead on Drugs Dr Michael Shiner, Mannheim Centre for Criminology, London School of Economics and Political Science Panel discussion and Q&A 4.45 pm UNGASS Update Mike Trace, Chair, International Drug Policy Consortium Board 5.15 pm Closing remarks by Rt Hon Keith Vaz MP, Committee Chair (5.30 pm end) Committee Members’ profiles Rt Hon Keith Vaz MP, Chair (Labour, Leicester East) Keith Vaz was first elected in June 1987 and has been re-elected as a Member of Parliament 6 times. He was the first person of Asian origin to sit in the House of Commons since 1922. He was Britain’s Minister for Europe under Tony Blair. He now serves as the Chairman of the Home Affairs Committee. The portfolio of the committee includes policing, counter terrorism, immigration and the justice and home affairs agenda of the European Union. Four years ago he was elected as a member of the Labour Party’s ruling National Executive Committee and he was appointed by the Prime Minister in 2006 to chair its Ethnic Minority Taskforce, a position he still holds. Born to Goan parents in Aden, Yemen he was educated at Cambridge University where he studied law and then became a solicitor. Elected as the youngest Labour Member of Parliament in 1987 he was appointed an Opposition Spokesman on regeneration and established the City 2020 Commission. When Labour was elected to government in 1997 he was made Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Attorney General. He then became a Junior Justice Minister and was quickly promoted to become a Minister of State in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office where he helped negotiate the enlargement of the European Union. In 2001 he became the senior Labour member on the Justice Committee and in 2007 was elected Chairman of the Home Affairs Committee and was re-elected for a further term in 2010 by a vote of the whole Parliament. Ian Austin MP (Labour, Dudley North) Ian Austin was brought up in Dudley and has lived in the Borough most of his life. He served as a member of Dudley Council between 1991 and 1995. He went to the Dudley School and has a degree in government and politics from Essex University. Ian entered the House of Commons in 2005. He takes a great interest in industrial, economic, employment, training and housing issues. Before his election he worked in government as political adviser to the Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown. He was appointed a Parliamentary Private Secretary to Gordon Brown in 2007. Nicola Blackwood MP (Conservative, Oxford West and Abingdon) Nicola Blackwood MP was first elected in 2010. She is Parliamentary Private Secretary to Matthew Hancock MP, Minister for Energy and Enterprise (2013-) and a senior member of the influential Home Affairs Select Committee (2010-). She was also previously Vice Chairman of the Conservative Party from 2010-2013. Nicola is known for her national campaign against child sexual exploitation, Childhood Lost, which she started in response to the appalling Oxford child grooming case. Nicola secured the backing major Children’s Charities including the NSPCC, Children’s Society, Barnardo’s and Save the Children for her campaign, and since it launched in August 2013 has attracted over 100,000 signatures and successfully amended child protection legislation to enable police to better protect victims of sexual abuse. Before her election Nicola worked for Andrew Mitchell MP, then Shadow International Development Secretary. Nicola continues this work as Chair of the All Parliamentary Group on Women Peace and Security and a Member of the Department for International Development’s Gender Advisory Group. In these roles, she has worked with Foreign Office and International Development Ministers to developing policy on women and girls in conflict and crisis affected areas and, in particular, on preventing sexual violence. She has been closely involved in the Foreign Secretary’s Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative which was launched at the last G8 summit. James Clappison MP (Conservative, Hertsmere) Mr James Clappison MP was born William James Clappison on 14 September 1956 in England and is the Conservative MP for Hertsmere. Currently sitting on the European Scrutiny Committee (since January 2007), Home Affairs Committee (since November 2002). He has in the past sat on International Development Committee (Jul 2010 to Feb 2011), Draft Civil Contingencies Bill (Joint Committee) (Jul 2003 to Nov 2003), Constitutional Affairs (Jan 2003 to Jul 2005), Members' Interests (Dec 1994 to Jul 1995), Health Committee (Apr 1992 to Jan 1994). Mr Clappison has held the position of Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Environment) (1995 to 1997) in government. He was Shadow Spokesperson (Work and Pensions) (2007 to 2010), Shadow Spokesperson (Treasury) (2002 to 2003), Shadow Spokesperson (Work and Pensions) (2001 to 2002), Shadow Spokesperson (Treasury) (2000 to 2001), Shadow Spokesperson (Education) (1999 to 2000), Shadow Spokesperson (Home Affairs) (1997 to 1999) in opposition. Michael Ellis MP (Conservative, Northampton North) Michael Ellis was born in Northampton at the Barratt Maternity Home in 1967 and he has lived and worked in Northampton his whole life. Michael graduated from University with a Bachelor of Law degree, obtaining a First Class in British Constitutional Law. Michael was subsequently Called to the Bar at the Honourable Society of the Middle Temple in 1993 and was thereafter a practising Barrister in the criminal law field for 17 years in the Northampton area. Michael has been involved in politics for many years. In 1997, he became the then-youngest County Councillor in Northamptonshire, representing the Parklands ward in the Northampton North constituency. He held this office until 2001. In December 2006 Michael was selected by the general public in an Open Primary to be the Conservative Candidate standing for Parliament to represent Northampton North. In the General Election of May 2010 Michael was Elected to the House of Commons as Conservative Member of Parliament for the constituency of Northampton North. Since February 2011, Michael has been a member of the Home Affairs Select Committee. Michael was appointed Parliamentary Advisor to the Chairman of the Conservative Party Lord Feldman of Elstree in September 2012. Paul Flynn MP (Labour, Newport West) Married to Samantha, three surviving grown-up children, elected to parliament for Newport West in 1987. The seat was previously held by a Conservative. Won the seat five times with majorities varying from 2,000 to 14,000. Former Labour Party Shadow Minister for Welsh Affairs and Social Security. Lorraine Fullbrook MP (Conservative, South Ribble) Lorraine has been the Member of Parliament for South Ribble since May 2010, after winning the seat with an 8% swing from Labour to Conservatives and a majority of 5554.