Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Overdose Prevention Centres

Monday 5 September 2022 · 3 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 3 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Ministerial concerns about drug consumption rooms stem from the belief that drugs are destructive to society, fuelling crime and undermining public health.
  • Anne McLaughlin raised concerns about the rise in drug deaths and the inadequacy of current intervention services.
  • The Minister acknowledged the importance of addressing drug addiction comprehensively, citing the work of Dame Carol Black as pivotal.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Anne McLaughlin SNP
NHS
Context

The MP is concerned about the effectiveness and potential benefits of implementing a pilot project for drug consumption rooms to evaluate their impact on public safety.

Question

I am concerned about the potential merits of implementing a pilot project to evaluate the effectiveness of drug consumption rooms. The aim would be to assess whether these measures can improve public health outcomes and reduce harm from illegal drug use in communities.

Answer from Priti Patel

Drugs are a scourge on society that destroys lives, blights communities and fuels crime. There is no safe way to take dangerous drugs, so I do not support legalising drugs. Importantly, the drug strategy led by this Government will tackle drug supply, reduce demand and provide world-class treatment to those in need of help.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The question specifically asked about assessing the merits of implementing a pilot project for drug consumption rooms, but no assessment was provided on the potential benefits or drawbacks of such a measure. Instead, it reiterated opposition to legalising drugs.

How: Repeating General Stance, Avoiding Specific Merit Assessment

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Q2 Rachael Maskell Labour (Co-op) York Central
NHS Mental Health
Context

The MP referenced the increase in drug deaths, highlighting specific figures and reports that indicate the need for better intervention services. The region of York saw a significant number of such incidents.

Question

Tragically, York saw a number of deaths over the summer caused by substance misuse. There were 4,859 drug deaths in England and Wales last year, up 6.2% on the previous year. Dame Carol Black's second report highlighted that intervention services are not fit for purpose. It is important that we see change based on evidence. Will the Government look again at the impact of overdose prevention units and pilot them in places such as York?

Answer from Priti Patel

The hon. Lady makes a very important point about the tragedy of drug deaths, and she highlights the incredibly important work of Dame Carol Black. I pay tribute to the work of Dame Carol Black, including everything she proposed on the drug strategy and treatment programmes.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The question specifically asked for a review of overdose prevention units and their impact, but no commitment was made to conduct such an assessment or pilot them. The response praised previous work without addressing the specific request.

How: Praising Existing Efforts, No New Commitments

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Q3 Anne McLaughlin SNP
NHS
Context

The MP spent time with families affected by drug addiction and loss, discussing the importance of medical assistance in reducing fatal outcomes. The Royal College of Nursing supports such initiatives.

Question

Last week I spent an evening in Glasgow with families who, like me, have lost someone to drug addiction. They and I accept that the ideal situation is that people will conquer their addiction, but does the right hon. Lady accept that they can do that only if they do not die first? Does she also accept that, for those who continue to use, we should enable them to do so as safely as possible and as close to medical assistance as possible? The Royal College of Nursing supports drug consumption rooms. Will she support them? And will she support the families and the memory of all those who have lost their life to drugs? Will she give the go-ahead for just one pilot project?

Answer from Priti Patel

I totally recognise and understand not only the hon. Lady's remarks, but the scale of drug addiction and drug deaths—we have discussed this many times before in this House and it is tragic. Conquering addiction is not easy, which is why I stand by the work of Carol Black. It is pivotal in terms of putting forward long-term treatment programmes, because long-term treatment is really required.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The question asked for explicit support and approval of drug consumption rooms, but no commitment was made to support or pilot them. The response reiterated the importance of long-term treatment without addressing the specific request for a pilot project.

How: Reiterating General Stance, No New Commitments

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