Controlled Drugs (Procedure for Specification) Bill

A Bill to change the procedure for amending Schedule 2 to the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.

Originating House

House of Commons

Sponsor

Alex McIntyreLabour (Co-op)

Parliament last updated

30 April 2026

In Plain English

AI-generated

May contain errors — check source documents for definitive information.

This bill would alter the way Schedule 2 drugs can be amended under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, creating a new procedure for changing which drugs sit on that list. It is currently at Report stage in the Commons, and there is one amendment from a Conservative MP aiming to remove part of Clause 1, signalling opposition to at least some elements of the proposed procedure.

Key Points

Aims to change the process for amending Schedule 2 drugs under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.
At Report stage, with one amendment to strike out subsection (6) of Clause 1, indicating a narrowing of the proposed procedure.
Amendment proposed by Sir Christopher Chope (Conservative); the sponsor of the bill is Alex McIntyre (Labour (Co-op)).
Debate centres on how quickly and how tightly drug-scheduling changes should be made, balancing parliamentary oversight with flexibility.
The exact effect hinges on what subsection (6) does; removing it would alter the scope or safeguards of the new procedure.

Progress

The bill is in the Commons’ Report stage after having reached Committee stage. If it clears the Commons, it would move on to further consideration in the Lords.

Who is affected?

Patients who rely on Schedule 2 drugs for medical treatmentHealthcare professionals (prescribers, pharmacists, hospitals)Pharmaceutical companies and suppliersLaw enforcement and regulatory bodiesResearchers and academic researchers working with controlled substancesThe general public

Generated 21 February 2026

Bill Stages

1st readingCommons

16 Oct 2024

2nd readingCommons

27 Feb 2026

Committee stageCommons

25 Jun 2025

Report stageCommons

11 Jul 2025

3rd readingCommons

1st readingLords

2nd readingLords

Committee stageLords

Report stageLords

3rd readingLords

Royal Assent

Amendments (1)

1 no decision

Showing agreed, defeated, and withdrawn amendments.

Updates & Documents

News (1)

Controlled Drugs (Procedure for Specification) Bill

9 Sept 2025

The 2024-2026 session of Parliament has come to an end so the House of Commons is now prorogued until the next session begins on 13 May 2026. Prorogation is the formal end to the parliamentary year.

This Bill will therefore make no further progress.