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Agenda and minutes

Agenda and minutes

Venue: The Executive Meeting Room - Third Floor, The Guildhall, Portsmouth. View directions

Contact: Jane Di Dino 023 9283 4060  Email: jane.didino@portsmouthcc.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

4.

Apologies for Absence

Minutes:

No apologies were received.

5.

Declaration of Members' Interests

Minutes:

No interests were declared.

6.

The Psychoactive Substances Act 2016 pdf icon PDF 110 KB

Purpose.

To brief the Cabinet Member for Environment & Community Safety that the Psychoactive Substances Act 2016 comes into force on 6 April 2016 and enables relevant enforcement officers defined as being the police, customs officers or 'an officer of a local authority' to exercise powers under the Act relating to any premises including, prohibition, entry by warrant, search and seizure.

 

To advise the Cabinet Member for Environment & Community Safety that the Psychoactive Substances Act 2016 also creates powers to 'stop and search' persons, enter and search vehicles, board and search vessels but these powers are specific to the police and customs officers.

 

RECOMMENDED that the Cabinet Member for Environment & Community Safety agree that the Director of Regulatory Services, Community Safety and Troubled families is delegated to deliver these new enforcement powers on behalf of the City Council, in respect of retail business premises in conjunction with the police, and may authorise appropriate officers within the directorate to carry out these new enforcement functions.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Peter Emmett, Trading Standards Manager introduced the report and in response to questions, clarified the following points:

·         The legislation is likely to be challenged.

·         So-called poppers will be added to the list of excluded substances.

·         The Local Government Agency will issue guidance to local authorities 

·         Retailers have been advised of the new legislation.  Anecdotal evidence indicates that some headshops are moving towards becoming vaping shops.

·         The situation will be monitored.

 

Councillor New thanked officers for their hard work on this issue and welcomed the new legislation which empowers the police and sends a strong message to the community.

 

DECISION

The Cabinet Member for Environment & Community Safety agreed that the Director of Regulatory Services, Community Safety and Troubled families is delegated to deliver these new enforcement powers on behalf of the City Council, in respect of retail business premises in conjunction with the police, and may authorise appropriate officers within the directorate to carry out these new enforcement functions.