Overview

This bill makes supplying or offering to supply controlled drugs to individuals under 16 an aggravated offense. This means that courts must consider this as a more serious crime when sentencing, leading to potentially harsher penalties.

Description

The bill amends the Sentencing Act 2020 and the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. It introduces a new aggravating factor for drug supply offenses: if the recipient is under 16. This means judges must treat the crime as more serious and declare it as such in court. The changes apply to England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. The bill will come into effect three months after it's passed.

Government Spending

The bill is not expected to have a significant direct impact on government spending. The potential costs may relate to increased prison sentences and associated costs of incarceration, but no figures are provided in the bill text.

Groups Affected

This bill primarily affects:

• Individuals supplying drugs to under-16s: They will face potentially harsher penalties.
• Courts: They will be required to treat such offences as aggravated and state this in court.
• Children under 16: While not directly penalized, the increased penalties for those supplying them with drugs could indirectly lead to a safer environment.
• Law enforcement agencies: Increased focus on prosecuting these cases.

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