Hansard

Christina McKelvie SNP Chamber

29 May 2024

Portfolio Question Time · Alcohol Harm (Cost)

We are working with a number of organisations across the board to look at how we tackle alcohol harm in Scotland. I am happy to share that information with Monica Lennon. We are also considering stakeholders’ calls for minimum unit pricing to be uprated on a yearly basis. I wi...

The Minister for Drugs and Alcohol Policy (Christina McKelvie) SNP Chamber

29 May 2024

Portfolio Question Time · Alcohol Harm (Cost)

The Scottish Government is determined to reduce alcohol-related harm, including by increasing the minimum unit price and through the record investment in treatment services that it provided in 2023-24. In 2023, the Social Market Foundation, based on research that was carried o...

The Minister for Drugs and Alcohol Policy (Christina McKelvie) SNP Chamber

28 May 2024

Visitor Levy (Scotland) Bill: Stage 3

On a point of order, Presiding Officer. I could not connect to the app. I would have voted no.

Christina McKelvie SNP Committee

01 May 2024

Drug Deaths and Drug Harm

We have already done that. I can make sure that the committee gets that report, which was published at the end of last year. It contains the results of our audits of where funding went to, particularly around services such as residential rehab and other services, and it addres...

Christina McKelvie SNP Committee

01 May 2024

Drug Deaths and Drug Harm

I have been clear that the money from the Scottish Government for ADPs that goes into the system via local authorities is going to ADPs. I do not think that I could be clearer about that. We have challenges in the budget—everyone has challenges in the budget—and some of those ...

Christina McKelvie SNP Committee

01 May 2024

Drug Deaths and Drug Harm

The argument will be that there is never enough money going in. From my perspective, I can say that, since I came into the role, there has been a 67 per cent increase in Scottish Government funding to ADPs and other support agencies. That tells you that there is a commitment t...

Christina McKelvie SNP Committee

01 May 2024

Drug Deaths and Drug Harm

I am aware that Justina is sitting right behind me. Interruption. Sorry—apparently she has gone. I will catch up with her soon. Justina Murray has been an absolutely superb advocate in this area. I will have to look at what she was saying, because I did not catch that bit of ...

Christina McKelvie SNP Committee

01 May 2024

Drug Deaths and Drug Harm

Sorry—I did not hear the last bit of your question.

Christina McKelvie SNP Committee

01 May 2024

Drug Deaths and Drug Harm

We are keeping track of what is happening in each area across Scotland. Where we are seeing challenges, organisations are coming forward with monthly reporting so that we can give advice, support and guidance on a monthly basis to push forward progress in tackling all those ch...

Christina McKelvie SNP Committee

01 May 2024

Drug Deaths and Drug Harm

Given that we set the MAT standards, we want everybody who accesses the service to get that service at the highest quality, and we want people to be informed about the choices that they have. The MAT standards are included in that. I mentioned mental health and dependency, and...

Christina McKelvie SNP Committee

01 May 2024

Drug Deaths and Drug Harm

I asked the Minister for Crime, Policing and Fire about that a few weeks ago, and he said that he would look into it. We expect that a site visit will be arranged and that there will be other back-and-forth about the facility. We would like it to happen now, but I suspect that...

Christina McKelvie SNP Committee

01 May 2024

Drug Deaths and Drug Harm

We have looked into that; my predecessor in the role looked into it. Some festivals have managed to do it. The Home Office is pretty rigid, but we are working with it. Mobile units at big events could be a life-saver for some people, so my mind is not at all closed on that, bu...

Christina McKelvie SNP Committee

01 May 2024

Drug Deaths and Drug Harm

I am really hopeful about the drug-checking facilities, which I think will give us real-time data on what is happening in local areas. We will also have the national hub, which will be sited between the University of Dundee and Ninewells hospital. It will allow further analysi...

Christina McKelvie SNP Committee

01 May 2024

Drug Deaths and Drug Harm

Police Scotland, too, has learned from other parts of the world in developing its guidance on how it will protect local communities while ensuring that we do not put more barriers in the way of people coming and seeking support.

Christina McKelvie SNP Committee

01 May 2024

Drug Deaths and Drug Harm

That is the work that Dr Priyadarshi has just spoken about. There will be continuous monitoring and evaluation of what works and what does not work and how we can modify that so that it works. We will keep monitoring how the consumption room operates and what it delivers. One...

Christina McKelvie SNP Committee

01 May 2024

Drug Deaths and Drug Harm

Yes—everybody needs to be safe in their workplace. One thing about synthetics is that some of them are much more dangerous to people who work in the sector. We have to consider that when working through the support for the workforce. We need to ensure that people are safe at w...

Christina McKelvie SNP Committee

01 May 2024

Drug Deaths and Drug Harm

Yes, in Glenochil.

Christina McKelvie SNP Committee

01 May 2024

Drug Deaths and Drug Harm

The SPS is currently working with us on what it thinks would work. When I was in Barlinnie on Thursday night, I was struck by the way that the prison officers work with the people involved. There is a real respect for each other’s roles and their journeys. We are working close...

Christina McKelvie SNP Committee

01 May 2024

Drug Deaths and Drug Harm

I welcome the work that is being done in England and Wales. Last Thursday night, I had the pleasure of being in Barlinnie—yes, they did let me back out. When I said to a colleague that I was going to Barlinnie, they said, “That must be grim,” but actually, it was not. Barlinni...

Christina McKelvie SNP Committee

01 May 2024

Drug Deaths and Drug Harm

Absolutely.

Christina McKelvie SNP Committee

01 May 2024

Drug Deaths and Drug Harm

Obviously, from my perspective, with the RADAR results being quarterly, that is the way in which we are looking at that and trying to scale all of that up. General toxicology is a hugely challenging issue as well. I do not know whether any of my officials has an update on tha...

Christina McKelvie SNP Committee

01 May 2024

Drug Deaths and Drug Harm

Families want answers, and sometimes, sadly, toxicology becomes very important in giving them an understanding—that is the answer that they get. It also gives everybody else involved in the care and treatment of people an understanding of what that toxicology tells us. The th...

Christina McKelvie SNP Committee

01 May 2024

Drug Deaths and Drug Harm

I said that we do not have a naloxone for cocaine overdose or harm, which means that supervised detox is the only option and the only form of recovery. Cocaine Anonymous and other organisations are very helpful in supporting people who are in that situation, which is why incre...

Christina McKelvie SNP Committee

01 May 2024

Drug Deaths and Drug Harm

It is worth hearing about some of the international evidence around synthetics, the challenge that they pose, the fact that they are now being mixed with other substances that people do not know about, which means that people do not know that they have contaminated substances,...

Christina McKelvie SNP Committee

01 May 2024

Drug Deaths and Drug Harm

Yes, and MAT standard 1 is about same-day intervention, which is a huge change. I see that Dr Priyadarshi is nodding, but I do not know whether that is because he agrees with me or because he has some experience to share.

Christina McKelvie SNP Committee

01 May 2024

Drug Deaths and Drug Harm

That is what I meant, along with the fact that the way in which the reservations in the Equality Act 2010 are worded means that anybody who has an alcohol or drugs dependency that has not come about as a result of a medical intervention does not have the same rights as everybo...

Christina McKelvie SNP Committee

01 May 2024

Drug Deaths and Drug Harm

Yes. I can write to the committee with a much more detailed report on where we are with the stigma plan and the work that is being done. I do not disagree with some of your points. We all want that work to have been done yesterday, and, if we had tackled stigma a long time ago...

Christina McKelvie SNP Committee

01 May 2024

Drug Deaths and Drug Harm

You will not be surprised to hear that the Government is pulled in all different directions because different people have different ideas on the best way to do things. I am taking my lead from the people whom I have met very recently—people who either are in recovery or have j...

Christina McKelvie SNP Committee

01 May 2024

Drug Deaths and Drug Harm

That is an excellent question. We, as the Scottish Government, think that we need a range of services that suit individuals’ needs, whether the need is for abstinence, medicated managed services, stabilisation services, detox in the community, detox in a unit or other recovery...

Christina McKelvie SNP Committee

01 May 2024

Drug Deaths and Drug Harm

I will just make a final point on the previous question. One piece of work that we are doing is to roll out naloxone kits. I think that about seven out of 10 people who are identified by services as being most at risk are now carrying naloxone kits. That is a clear interventio...

Christina McKelvie SNP Committee

01 May 2024

Drug Deaths and Drug Harm

The quarterly figures are incredibly important for us as they allow us to see emerging trends and issues. We will not have the full picture until we get the National Records of Scotland data in the summer. I need to give a caveat around the RADAR figures and the police figures...

The Minister for Drugs and Alcohol Policy (Christina McKelvie) SNP Committee

01 May 2024

Drug Deaths and Drug Harm

Thanks very much, convener, and good morning, colleagues. Thank you for having me along to your committee and giving me the opportunity to update you on work that is under way through our national mission to reduce the number of drug related deaths and harms. I have been in p...

The Minister for Drugs and Alcohol Policy (Christina McKelvie) SNP Chamber

17 Apr 2024

Parliamentary Bureau Motions

I am glad to have the opportunity to address colleagues across the chamber on minimum unit pricing ahead of this crucial vote. The Parliament has the opportunity to show that Scotland continues to be world leading with our policies to improve the health of people in Scotland b...

Christina McKelvie SNP Committee

26 Mar 2024

Subordinate Legislation

Yes, thank you. That discussion was really helpful. I thank Scottish Labour, Scottish National Party and Scottish Green members for their support for the policy. Everyone’s comments on the work that is still to be done, the way in which we fund the sector, and the analysis an...

Christina McKelvie SNP Committee

26 Mar 2024

Subordinate Legislation

I am happy to move the motions. There is not much more to say, other than my key opening remarks that we believe, following the review, that now is the time to continue with the policy and to uprate the minimum unit price to 65p. I commend both sets of regulations to the commi...

Christina McKelvie SNP Committee

26 Mar 2024

Subordinate Legislation

We will keep the scheme under continuous review. Whether we do a full review in five years will probably be for other people to decide, but my commitment is to keep the scheme under continuous review to ensure that we can be fleet of foot with any changes. For example, we migh...

Christina McKelvie SNP Committee

26 Mar 2024

Subordinate Legislation

That timeline runs over 17 or 18 years—which is a lot of time. In that time, there have been a lot of interventions, and a lot of work has been done to reduce drug and alcohol-related deaths and hospital admissions. We took the decision to continue to implement minimum unit pr...

Christina McKelvie SNP Committee

26 Mar 2024

Subordinate Legislation

Yes, they were, but as you have said, that was before MUP. In a recent statement, the Deputy First Minister stated our intention to consider the matter again, and we are now in the very early stages of doing so. Indeed, stakeholder organisations such as Scottish Health Action ...

Christina McKelvie SNP Committee

26 Mar 2024

Subordinate Legislation

It will know, based on the alcohol duty.

Christina McKelvie SNP Committee

26 Mar 2024

Subordinate Legislation

It is different for different retailers. Those in the off-licence trade—that is, bottle shops—can see the difference pretty clearly, but it has become difficult for supermarkets to separate sales, because people will buy alcohol along with whatever else is in their shopping. T...

Christina McKelvie SNP Committee

26 Mar 2024

Subordinate Legislation

Yes, absolutely.

Christina McKelvie SNP Committee

26 Mar 2024

Subordinate Legislation

Yes.

Christina McKelvie SNP Committee

26 Mar 2024

Subordinate Legislation

Yes. The modelling found that inflation would take it from 50p up to 60p or 62p, and we decided on 65p, which takes it one level further. We also looked at modelling for 70p and other prices per unit, but we felt that 65p gave us the right balance between the impact on industr...

Christina McKelvie SNP Committee

26 Mar 2024

Subordinate Legislation

We will look for the best option that will allow Parliament to scrutinise any decisions that are made, but also ensure that we can continue the policy’s benefits.

Christina McKelvie SNP Committee

26 Mar 2024

Subordinate Legislation

Yes. That was recognised in the letter to The Lancet from Professors Michael Marmot and Sally Casswell, who said: “This summary of research on minimum unit pricing is comprehensive, including interviews with individuals who fear the policy will be detrimental to them personal...

Christina McKelvie SNP Committee

26 Mar 2024

Subordinate Legislation

I am happy to come back when I have considered all the evidence, including facts and modelling.

Christina McKelvie SNP Committee

26 Mar 2024

Subordinate Legislation

I think that all analysis should be taken into account. Modelling is a recommended and respected way of getting the information that we need to tackle societal issues and move policy forward. I would not underestimate the impact of the modelling work that has been done by the ...

Christina McKelvie SNP Committee

26 Mar 2024

Subordinate Legislation

Others argue the complete opposite. Even in the consultation, the ideas and understanding that were expressed were pretty polarised. I take to heart the expertise of Public Health Scotland, the University of Sheffield, front-line workers and public health directors in the w...

Christina McKelvie SNP Committee

26 Mar 2024

Subordinate Legislation

Due to the cost of living crisis, it is really difficult to know whether that is completely accurate. Some of the biggest impacts on people right now are from the cost of living crisis and its impact on their shopping bills, their energy bills and everything else in their life...

Christina McKelvie SNP Committee

26 Mar 2024

Subordinate Legislation

Straight off, that is a yes—obviously. Public Health Scotland’s evaluation found that the evidence points to minimum unit pricing having a “positive impact on health outcomes” for harmful and hazardous drinking, and the work that we have done on that is incredibly detailed. ...

Christina McKelvie SNP Committee

26 Mar 2024

Subordinate Legislation

I am a policy person who does not make policy without ensuring that the people who will be impacted by the policy are sitting at the table. That is the approach that I have taken in all my ministerial and parliamentary roles. Even in my past professional life, I did not make a...

Christina McKelvie SNP Committee

26 Mar 2024

Subordinate Legislation

To be absolutely honest, I am open-minded about how to do it. We are looking at many ways in which we can tackle it. Every official in the department has different experience, so they come with all that information as well. We will look at whether inflation is the right measur...

Christina McKelvie SNP Committee

26 Mar 2024

Subordinate Legislation

That has been raised with me already over the past few weeks, particularly when the budget statement included a commitment to look again at a public health levy. You have heard from Katherine Myant about the detailed work that went into setting the uprating at the level that ...

Christina McKelvie SNP Committee

26 Mar 2024

Subordinate Legislation

Mr Sweeney will know that some in the sector have asked the Scottish Government to consider a public health levy, which we have considered in the past. In the most recent budget statement, the Deputy First Minister intimated a willingness to re-look at that. I go back to th...

Christina McKelvie SNP Committee

26 Mar 2024

Subordinate Legislation

I will bring in Katherine Myant to give the detail on the analysis and decision making, because that happened before I was in post. I do not have the benefit of hindsight and of remembering that, but Katherine was immersed in it, so she can give you a much more detailed answer.

Christina McKelvie SNP Committee

26 Mar 2024

Subordinate Legislation

The policy has never been a silver bullet, and it has never existed in isolation as the only thing that we are doing. The paragraph that jumped out at me in the letter from the north-east of England branch of the Association of Directors of Public Health concerned the proporti...

Christina McKelvie SNP Committee

26 Mar 2024

Subordinate Legislation

I am absolutely clear that the budget that we have provided for ADPs—which has gone up this year to a record amount—should be spent on ADPs. If I have to go as far as to give a direction, it will be that that money should be spent on ADPs and the work that they have to do, inc...

Christina McKelvie SNP Committee

26 Mar 2024

Subordinate Legislation

Are you talking about proposed cuts to ADPs?

Christina McKelvie SNP Committee

26 Mar 2024

Subordinate Legislation

For clarity, are you talking about the 2023-24 budget and the 2024-25 budget?

Christina McKelvie SNP Committee

26 Mar 2024

Subordinate Legislation

Yes.