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Meeting of the Parliament 21 June 2012

21 Jun 2012 · S4 · Meeting of the Parliament

Item of business

Families

White, Sandra SNP Glasgow Kelvin Watch on SPTV

I thank Kezia Dugdale for her informative speech—I will certainly visit the cafe that is just around the corner from here. I also thank Nanette Milne for initiating the debate. As many members have said, the problem affects many families throughout Scotland. Neil Bibby and other members were correct to mention the consensus in the debate. We all feel exactly the same way—we want to do something positive and work together.

I will expand on the benefits changes that the Westminster Government has proposed, and which Maureen Watt touched on. Under those changes, claimants who have drug and alcohol problems will be forced into accepting treatment. Otherwise, their benefits will be cut. Kezia Dugdale has talked about people with chaotic lifestyles being forced into treatment. It is difficult for such people to cope with bureaucracy. Conservative members should let their counterparts in Westminster know what we are doing in Scotland and tell them that the proposals will be counterproductive to the work that is being undertaken in Parliament and throughout Scotland. The changes are the worst thing that could happen to drug users. The demands that will be made on them will do more harm than good.

Christine Duncan of Scottish Families Affected by Drugs said:

“Proposals from the UK Government to link benefits with accessing drug and alcohol treatment are quite worrying as this would have the impact of adding pressure to someone’s personal attempts at recovery which can only impact even more on families and carers. We support the Scottish Drugs Forum call to the Scottish Government to maintain the thrust of the Road to Recovery.”

I accept what Nanette Milne said about recovery and relapse, but we need to look at the benefits system, because the changes will do more harm than good.

I pay tribute to the many groups and individuals who face every day the reality of drug abuse and its tragic consequences. For example, Glasgow North United Communities provides fantastic support to families and individuals whose lives have been affected and, in many cases, completely destroyed by drug abuse. As Neil Bibby and other members have, I have visited many such groups and individuals in the Glasgow area and know of situations in which grandparents look after their grandchildren, sometimes while still looking after their grown-up children who have drug problems. There are individuals who have reached rock-bottom and if it was not for the support of families and support groups, they simply would not be here today. I take my hat off to those grandparents. I will not recount individual constituents’ stories, but some of those stories would have you on your knees. They are people who are just trying to get through life.

Kezia Dugdale and others have referred to the stigma of drug abuse. We talk about families in terms of grandparents, mothers, brothers, sisters and fathers, but there is a bigger family out there and people with drugs problems have to spend a long while in recovery mode before they can get back into the family group as a mother or father, for example. I pay tribute to the effort that such people make. They sometimes do not have support at the start, but they tend to find it. However, it can still take them many years to recover.

Members may think that I am not being consensual in terms of the debate, but I believe that we need to look at the UK Government’s benefits changes. I hope that we are trying to ensure that people with drug problems are on the road to recovery and will not relapse, but if they are forced into getting treatment that may not be suitable for them, they probably will relapse and all the good work will be wasted.

10:06