Written question asked by Peter Soulsby (Labour) on Wednesday, 13 May 2009, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Friday, 15 May 2009. It was answered by Alan Campbell (Labour) on Monday, 1 June 2009 on behalf of the Home Office.

Drugs: Misuse

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent discussions officials of her Department have had with representatives of community organisations on the use of khat in the UK.

Answer: Representatives of communities in which khat is used have met both the Home Secretary and other Home Office Ministers, with officials present. Pursuant to the commitment in the Government's 2008 Drug Strategy Action, research that has been commissioned by the Home Office to examine the social harms associated with khat use will comprise a number of focus groups with members of the Somali, Yemeni, and Ethiopian communities. These groups will explore perceptions of the social harms associated with khat use.

Secondary information