SNP minister dodges calls to quit
ScOTLAND’S beleaguered drugs tsar is under growing pressure to quit after he admitted he did not know basic details about the crisis facing the country.
In a ‘ car crash’ TV interview, Public health Minister Joe FitzPatrick admitted he had no idea how many drug rehab beds there are.
Despite growing criticism of his performance, Nicola Sturgeon yesterday insisted that she still had confidence in him.
Mr FitzPatrick, who has also recently faced criticism for his stumbling performance answering questions on the rollout of the coronavirus vaccine, has headed the Scottish Government’s response to the drug deaths toll soaring to a new record high. Scottish Labour health spokesman Monica Lennon said: ‘having failed to show the leadership Scotland needs in this human rights emergency, Joe FitzPatrick needs to take responsibility and resign.’
During an i nterview on STV’s Scotland Tonight, Mr FitzPatrick dismissed questions about whether he should resign, saying: ‘I will let others play politics with the issue.’
Presenter John MacKay told him when the SNP came to power there were 352 rehab beds and 455 annual drug deaths, but said that by 2017 there were only 70 beds but 1,187 deaths.
Mr FitzPatrick said he does not ‘recognise those figures’ but had ‘seen them bandied around’. Asked how many rehab beds there are now, he said he had asked the Lothian Edinburgh Abstinence Project to ‘ map out what beds are available (and) what the needs are’.
Mr MacKay said: ‘You don’t actually know how many beds there are?’
Mr FitzPatrick said: ‘It is quite a complex issue, and the Government doesn’t specifically provide those beds.’