DRUGS CRISIS SUMMIT
AT LAST A TORY WITH AN ‘OPEN MIND’ And consumption rooms will be on agenda
A UK crisis summit before the end of the year will discuss calls to create drug consumption rooms in Scotland.
Crime minister Kit Malthouse suggested the meeting yesterday and said he was open-minded about such centres – becoming the first Tory at Westminster to show any willingness to engage on the issue.
Most activists and politicians in Scotland back DCRs, but successive home secretaries have dismissed them despite evidence they save lives.
Quizzed by MPs as part of the Scottish Affairs Committee’s inquiry into the nation’s horrific drug death toll, Malthouse gave a glimmer of hope on DCRs by proposing a “drains up” summit in Glasgow to inform a UK action plan on drugs.
“Drains up” is a US expression for a meeting to solve a problem, derived from clearing a drain using a rod.
Tommy Sheppard of the SNP said there was a “compelling case” for BY MARK McGIVERN Chief Reporter DCRs and urged the UK Government to look at the issue with “fresh eyes”.
Malthouse said: “I do recognise that Scotland, in paticular, does have a problem that we need to get together and sort out.
“So I would like to hold a proper drains up summit in Glasgow where we invite all four nations to talk about how we are to collectively deal with these issues.”
However, he also warned that DCRs would cause “significant legal problems”, since they breach current drug laws.
He said: “Even if there was an acceptance of a need, it would take some time to sort out the legislation.”
Malthouse suggested that the SNP could take more effective action by fully funding drug treatment programmes run under devolved powers.
He rejected out of hand any call to decriminalise drug possession, which the Record has campaigned for and the SNP adopted as party policy this month. The committee slammed Malthouse for holding up their investigation for months by failing to agree a time to come and give evidence.
Chairman Pete Wishart said the panel had been forced to delay its report because the Home Office had failed to respond to an invitation first sent in April.