NEWPORT West MP Paul Flynn has written to health secretary Jeremy Hunt urging him to legalise the use of cannabis for medicinal purposes.

The Labour MP has long campaigned for the drug to be made available to treat conditions such as multiple sclerosis, epilepsy and cancer.

He was due to present a Private Member’s Bill changing the law in Parliament in February - but it was put on hold after time ran out before it was reached. He will get a second chance on Friday July 6, when the bill returns for a second reading.

And now Mr Flynn has written to the health secretary urging him to support the bill.

He was writing after two high-profile cases involving use of cannabis for medical reasons hit headlines.

Last week the Home Office granted 12-year-old Billy Caldwell, of County Tyrone in Northern Ireland, who has epilepsy, a temporary, 20-day licence allowing him to use cannabis oil to treat his symptoms.

And a campaign by the family of six-year-old Alfie Dingley, of Warwickshire, who has a similar condition, calling for them to be given a similar exemption, has also hit national headlines.

In his letter Mr Flynn said: “The cases of Alfie Dingley and Billy Caldwell have reaffirmed the urgent need to legalise cannabis for medicinal purposes.

“Whilst the news that a review into the legal status of cannabis is welcome, I urge you to support my Legalisation of Cannabis (Medicinal Purposes) Bill when it returns to the Commons for second reading on July 6.

“If the bill is to be successful in ending the needless suffering of Alfie, Charlie and thousands of others, government support of the bill will be required.”

Yesterday, Home Secretary Sajid Javid announced a review of the medicinal use of cannabis.

Mr Javid announced the move in a statement to the House of Commons, adding it had become clear to him that the current legal position on medicinal cannabis was “not satisfactory for the parents, not satisfactory for the doctors, and not satisfactory for me”.