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David Amess MP -- who was famously duped by the Brass Eye "cake" episode -- has been appointed chair of the Psychoactive Substances Bill Committee.

The Bill, which is currently passing through parliament, is an attempt by the government to clamp down on so-called legal highs. But the choice of David Amess as chair has caused embarrassment. "Look at that, a £100,000 in the pocket of the filth that sells it. A big yellow death bullet in the head of some poor user -- or custard gannet as the dealers call them," Amess said sincerely into Brass Eye's satirical lens back in 1997. "I don't want to look at it for another moment."


Amess was holding a bright yellow pill-shaped cake, which comedian Chris Morris convinced him was a new legal high. Noel Edmonds and Rolf Harris also featured in the spoof video.

Critics of the bill have argued it risks criminalising young people and could impact on important medical research. Substances such as nitrous oxide, better known as laughing gas, would be banned under the new legislation.

Having passed the Lords earlier this year, parliament is now opening the bill to written evidence from the public. "Do you have relevant expertise and experience or a special interest in the Psychoactive Substances Bill, which is currently passing through Parliament?" read an update on the parliament website.

When fooled by Brass Eye, Amess believed he was appearing in a video warning of the dangers of the mysterious new drug cake. He even took his concerns about the legal high to the House of Commons.