UK and Scottish ministers questioned on drugs policy
The Home Affairs Committee questions UK minister, Chris Philp MP, and Scottish minister, Angela Constance MSP, on Wednesday 22 February in the closing session of its inquiry into drugs policy.
The trade and use of illicit drugs has serious health and crime-related implications in communities in the UK. In 2021 there were 4,564 drug misuse deaths. NHS England sees 100,000 admissions a year for drug-related mental and behavioural disorders. Scotland faces particularly acute challenges, with drug use double that of England and drug-related deaths the highest in Europe.
Meeting details
The session examines the effectiveness of the current legislative framework designed to restrict the use of dangerous of harmful drugs and question whether there is need for reform. This will include the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, which prohibits the production, possession and supply of controlled substances, and the Psychoactive Substances Act 2016 which was introduced in response to the emergence of ‘legal highs’.
The committee also examines the impact of Government-led strategies to reduce drug use, drug-related mortality and drug-related criminality. This will include the implementation and funding for the 10-Year Drug Strategy for England and Wales, announced in December 2021. It will also investigate the potential for greater use of harm-reduction approaches, including safe consumption facilities, diamorphine-assisted treatment and drug checking.