Holyrood grilled on priorities by minister

A Home Office minister said he would not consider legalising drug consumption rooms until he sees the Scottish Government invest as “heavily as possible” in treatment.

Kit Malthouse, minister for crime, was grilled by the cross-party Scottish Affairs Committee in Westminster yesterday morning.

Mr Malthouse accused the wrangling over drug consumption rooms as political flag-waving, and said the Scottish Government had reduced its funding in treatment and education.

He said the UK Government was doing “nothing” to reduce the stigma surrounding drug users, an issue experts conclude is a large barrier for people seeking treatment.

Mr Malthouse wants to hold an event in Glasgow “before Christmas” for counterparts from Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales and England to discuss a “UK-wide” programme for tackling drug deaths.

He said: “There is more compelling evidence about treatment and I am happy to talk about drug consumption rooms but I would be thrilled to see enormous investment going into treatment in Scotland.

“This is fundamentally about investment decisions taken by government ministers in Scotland... they have to take a decision whether to invest heavily in treatment or in other things.”

He told the committee, following Scottish Government recommendations drug laws be devolved, it would make policing more difficult and dealers would exploit the country if drugs were decriminalised in Scotland.

Public Health Minister Joe FitzPatrick said: “We’ve repeatedly invited the UK Government to attend a summit in Glasgow on drug deaths... they have, to date, refused to attend. I hope this is confirmation they have U-turned.”

Minister Kit Malthouse.