Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Misuse of Drugs Act and Health Outcomes

Wednesday 8 September 2021 · 8 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 7 Not answered 0

Key points

  • The recent drug deaths in Scotland are an absolute tragedy.
  • There is not a unanimous view on the efficacy of drug consumption rooms.
  • The UK Government keeps an open mind on policies regarding drug consumption rooms based on fresh evidence.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Joanna Cherry SNP
NHS Scotland
Context

Recent drug deaths in Scotland have raised concerns about the effectiveness of current legislation.

Question

What recent assessment has his Department made of the effect of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 on health outcomes in Scotland?

Answer from Iain Stewart

The recent drug deaths in Scotland are an absolute tragedy. The majority of the levers to tackle drug misuse are devolved to the Scottish Government, including health, education, housing and the criminal justice system. We are keen to work with the Scottish Government to tackle this tragic issue and to share lessons throughout the United Kingdom.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not provide a specific assessment of the Misuse of Drugs Act's impact on health outcomes in Scotland.

How: The Majority Of Levers Are Devolved, Keen To Work With Scottish Government

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Q2 Martin Docherty SNP
Culture, Media & Sport
Context

Drug consumption rooms in other countries have been shown to save lives and reduce health risks.

Question

Why does the Minister and the Government refuse to base their policy on evidence such as that from Portugal, Canada and Switzerland, where drug consumption rooms save lives?

Answer from Iain Stewart

There is not a unanimous view on the efficacy of drug consumption rooms. The Minister for Crime and Policing recently had discussions with his counterpart in the Scottish Government and it was made clear that we are open to any new evidence about drug consumption rooms, but they are not the single solution to the problem.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not confirm or deny use of international evidence for policy decisions.

How: Not Unanimous View, Open To New Evidence

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Q3 Joanna Cherry SNP
NHS
Context

Portugal's approach has been successful in reducing drug-related deaths.

Question

There is plenty of evidence on the efficacy of drug consumption rooms. Will his Government use their reserved powers to amend the Misuse of Drugs Act and enable measures like drug consumption rooms that worked in Portugal?

Answer from Iain Stewart

I have discussed the specific matter of drug consumption rooms at some length with the hon. and learned Lady's colleague, the hon. Member for Glasgow Central (Alison Thewliss), so I am well aware of the arguments for them, but there are arguments against them.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not commit to using reserved powers for drug consumption rooms.

How: Aware Of Arguments, Arguments Against

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Q4 Douglas Ross Con
Scotland
Context

Scottish Conservatives proposed a right to recovery Bill for Scotland.

Question

Does the Minister agree that the Scottish Government should engage with us to bring forward these proposals?

Answer from Iain Stewart

I absolutely agree. My hon. Friend and his colleagues have come up with an excellent policy in this area, and it would be to the great advantage of people in Scotland that the Scottish Government take up the proposals that it contains.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not commit to engaging on Right to Recovery Bill.

How: Agrees With Policy, No Commitment

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Q5 Pete Wishart SNP Perth and Kinross-shire
Scotland
Context

The committee recommended evidence-based solutions, including drug consumption rooms.

Question

Why did the UK Government reject nearly all of our conclusions and recommendations?

Answer from Iain Stewart

The report from that Committee was not a unanimous one, and there is not unanimity of view on the proposals. We keep an open mind on this as regards fresh evidence that shows that policies work.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not explain reasons for rejecting recommendations.

How: Not Unanimous Report, Open To New Evidence

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Q6 Michael Fabricant Con
Scotland
Context

Mayor of West Midlands has initiatives on drug misuse.

Question

To what degree does the Scottish Office liaise with the regions of England to communicate with Scotland about best practice?

Answer from Iain Stewart

I discuss matters throughout the United Kingdom and share good, innovative practices in a particular area to encourage other parts of the UK to follow suit.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not detail specific collaboration with English regions.

How: Share Best Practices, No Specifics

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Q7 Mhairi Black SNP
Context

Drug use legislation can trap people in a cycle of poverty and crime.

Question

Will this Government finally commit to reviewing the 50-year-old legislation that is the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971?

Answer from Iain Stewart

We constantly discuss these matters with our counterparts in Scotland and have made serious offers, as I say, to extend Project ADDER, which looks at drugs misuse in a holistic way. There is evidence to show that this works.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not commit to reviewing the Misuse of Drugs Act.

How: Discuss Matters With Scotland, Extend Project Adder

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Q8 Mhairi Black SNP
Crime & Law Enforcement Economy Scotland
Context

The question arises from the debate on the financial burden of drug-related crimes. Experts have indicated that addressing health issues related to drugs could be more cost-effective than current law enforcement methods.

Question

In what world do you get to claim to be taking an issue seriously while in the same breath commit to change absolutely nothing? If the logical arguments will not convince, then maybe the financial ones will. Crimes linked to drugs in Scotland cost £750 million a year to investigate and prosecute. Experts tell us that that money could be better spent. If the experts, the Scottish Government and even the Scottish Conservatives can now agree that health needs to be the main approach, why not the Minister?

Answer from Iain Stewart

We have put forward some very concrete suggestions. I remind her that the vast majority of powers in this area lie with the Scottish Government, and her Government have been in power for 14 years, so perhaps they should spend a little bit more effort focusing on tackling some of these social issues rather than obsessing about independence, which no one wants.

Not addressed: The financial and expert advice regarding the health-focused approach to drug-related crimes was not addressed.

How: I Remind Her That The Vast Majority Of Powers In This Area Lie With The Scottish Government, Her Government Have Been In Power For 14 Years

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