The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) has produced a report that includes recommendations on classification and scheduling following a thorough review of evidence on hexahydrocannabinol (HHC), a semi-synthetic cannabinoid (SSC), and other related SSCs which are not currently regulated under the generic definition of cannabinoids in legislation.

The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) has published its advice on amending the licensing for industrial hemp, after it was commissioned to do so in April 2024. The ACMD supports the proposed change to increase the maximum THC content of industrial hemp grown outdoors for the purposes of seed production or to use the uncontrolled parts of the plant to produce fibre for use in construction and textile industries from 0.2% to 0.3% but notes the impact of this change should be assessed after two years. As a consequence, the ACMD also supports amending the Misuse of Drugs (Licence Fees) Regulations 2010, SI 2010/2497 so that the lower fee of £580 applies to hemp licences for the raised level of THC not exceeding 0.3%. This aligns with other international regulatory levels of permitted THC for hemp products.

Access Control Point

The Advanced CANDU Reactor® (ACR-100®) is an evolutionary, Generation III+, 1200 MWe class heavy water reactor, designed by AECL to meet industry and public expectations for safe, reliable, environmentally friendly and low-cost nuclear generation. The ACR1000 development program has now been completed, with no reactor sales pending.

The Association of Consumer Support Organisations (ACSO) has released an analysis of the latest personal injury data obtained from the Government under the Freedom of Information Act. The report reveals a continued downward trend in motor injury claims, with 2024 marking the lowest year on record at 328,637 claims, down from 352,230 in 2023. This represents a more than 50% reduction since 2018. Conversely, clinical negligence claims saw an increase of over 10% between 2023 and 2024, while public liability claims rose by 15%. Employer liability claims remained stable. ACSO's executive director, Matthew Maxwell Scott, expressed concern over the difficulty injured parties face in seeking redress and called for the government's Motor Insurance Taskforce to investigate the lack of promised savings for consumers following the whiplash reforms.

The Association of Consumer Support Organisations (ACSO) has published commentary by its Executive Director, Matthew Maxwell Scott, on the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) report on the costs of clinical negligence. He noted that every incident of negligence represents a person harmed, a family traumatised and a life changed, and that reducing harm both improves patient outcomes and ensures more money is directed to frontline care. The commentary highlighted serious concerns in maternity services, where 14 trusts are under investigation for poor safety and systemic failures. It said that claimants and families primarily want answers and action to prevent future harm. Scott called on the Department of Health and Social Care to publish David Lock KC’s review alongside its own reviews. He also said that legal costs form only a small part of the overall issue, and that measures such as alternative dispute resolution, joint settlement meetings and fixed recoverable costs in lower-value cases should be progressed, provided they do not undermine patient safety or access to justice.

The Association of Consumer Support Organisations (ACSO) has commented on the quarterly data (Q3 2024) from the government’s Compensation Recovery Unit. The date offers insight into the latest quarterly figures, spanning from 1 July 2024  to September 2024, obtained through a ‘freedom of information’ request. Q3 2024 reveals a significant decline in motor injury claims, reaching an all-time low of 76,678. According to ACSA this 11% drop from Q3 2023 reflects the lasting impact of government whiplash reforms and complementary measures taken in recent years.

The Association of Consumer Support Organisations (ACSO) has expressed concern over the government's protracted response to the 2023 consultation on revisions to the medical reporting process for road traffic accident claims. The government plans to implement inflationary increases to fixed costs medical reports in 2025, marking an 11-year gap since fees were last set in 2014. ACSO highlights the detrimental impact on the medico-legal sector, noting a significant decrease in medical reporting organisations due to commercial challenges. The organisation criticises the inconsistency in reviewing fixed fees across civil justice, emphasising the resulting difficulties for firms in planning and investment. ACSO calls for the ongoing motor insurance taskforce to address these issues and consider the imbalance between defendant insurers and consumer representatives created by fixed costs.

The Association of Consumer Support Organisations (ACSO) has reported that the government’s Compensation Recovery Unit recorded a further fall in personal injury claims in 2025, with total registrations reaching a record low, based on data obtained through a Freedom of Information request. A total of 413,323 claims were registered, a 12% decrease from 2024 and a fall of more than half compared with 2018. The decline was driven mainly by motor injury claims, which fell by 14% year on year to 282,428 and reached their lowest quarterly level on record in the final quarter of 2025. Claims in other categories, including employer and public liability, also remained well below previous highs. ACSO said the sustained reduction reflects increased barriers to bringing claims, particularly following the Ministry of Justice’s whiplash reforms, and stated that the figures undermine claims of a widespread compensation culture, as higher small claims limits and fixed costs regimes have reduced access to legal representation despite road traffic levels returning close to pre-pandemic norms.

The Association of Consumer Support Organisations (ACSO) has commented on the government's statutory review of whiplash injury regulations. While welcoming the Lord Chancellor's publication of an uprated tariff, ACSO highlights concerns about the implementation timeline, which includes an eight week consultation with the Lady Chief Justice and subsequent parliamentary process. The organisation emphasises the significant erosion of the tariff due to inflation and calls for swift action to lay the necessary statutory instrument before parliament in 2025. ACSO also notes the lack of evidence regarding promised savings for motorists and urges the government to respond to the 2023 medical reporting consultation, addressing the decade-long freeze on medical expert fees. The organisation stresses the importance of certainty and consistency in revising fixed costs regimes and tariffs to maintain market investment and protect injured consumers' interests.

The Association of Consumer Support Organisations (ACSO) has welcomed signs from the Department for Transport (DfT) about what may be included in its forthcoming road safety review, the first in a decade. ACSO notes that while serious road casualties fell from 41,000 in 2000 to 24,000 in 2010, they have since increased by nearly 20%. It says proposals are likely to cover drink and drug-driving, seatbelt use, driving without insurance and eyesight testing. On the latter, ACSO and others have long called for reform of the UK’s rules, which rely on a one-time number-plate test. It says most European countries have more stringent and ongoing requirements, especially for older drivers, and considers this a long-overdue recognition from the DfT that change is needed to make roads safer. ACSO says it looks forward to reviewing the detail and responding to consultations later in 2025.

Association of Corporate Treasurers.