Committee
Criminal Justice Committee, Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, and Social Justice and Social Security Committee (Joint Meeting) 02 November 2023
02 Nov 2023 · S6 · Criminal Justice Committee, Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, and Social Justice and Social Security Committee (Joint Meeting)
Item of business
Drug Deaths and Drug Harm
We turn to questions from Paul O’Kane. I am sorry—I mean Paul Sweeney.
In the same item of business
The Convener
SNP
Our next item of business is an evidence session on tackling drug deaths and drug harm. I am pleased to welcome our witnesses. Elena Whitham is the Minister ...
Elena Whitham (Minister for Drugs and Alcohol Policy)
SNP
Thank you, convener. I thank all three committees for coming together to focus on this issue, which cuts across all your portfolios. We are now at the midpo...
The Convener
SNP
Thank you very much, minister. We move straight to questions, and the first question comes from Audrey Nicoll.
Audrey Nicoll (Aberdeen South and North Kincardine) (SNP)
SNP
Thank you for that update, minister. The previous meeting, which, unfortunately, you were unable to attend, was a very positive one. Given the timing of that...
Elena Whitham
SNP
Thank you very much for your question. I echo your recognition of the work that this joint committee does. I think that joint committees are invaluable, and ...
Audrey Nicoll
SNP
I am sure that the minister will be planning to keep the committees updated on that. It is good to hear that that work is under way. I turn to the issue of...
Elena Whitham
SNP
I gather that you are talking about safer consumption facilities.
Audrey Nicoll
SNP
Yes.
Elena Whitham
SNP
We need to have a robust evaluation process, which needs to be flexible and agile. At the same time, I do not believe that that should stop us exploring the ...
Roz McCall (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con)
Con
Good afternoon. I will ask a couple of questions on stigma and my particular raison d’être of being trauma aware. That is something that gets me out of bed i...
Elena Whitham
SNP
Like you, I am very passionate about being trauma informed and ensuring that services are trauma responsive. We need a full systems and cultural change if ...
Roz McCall
Con
Thank you very much for that very full answer. My only concern is that, when anyone says that we have to take time to do something, the process becomes never...
Elena Whitham
SNP
Absolutely. I anticipate that, by the time we go into the spring, we will have a lot more information about what the stigma action plan is going to be. We ar...
Roz McCall
Con
Thank you, minister. 13:15
Sue Webber (Lothian) (Con)
Con
Minister, you mentioned the evaluation methodology. I am glad that the chief officer of Glasgow city health and social care partnership is here today, becaus...
Elena Whitham
SNP
That is a really good point, because we need challenge and scrutiny of, and independent eyes on, some of these things. I will probably pass over to Susanne M...
Susanne Millar (Glasgow City Health and Social Care Partnership)
The evaluation process is being led by the director of public health at NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Dr Emilia Crighton, but we are also working with an ex...
Sue Webber
Con
It is not a hidden fact that our party’s perspective on safer drug consumption facilities is different from that of others. We are very much looking forward ...
Elena Whitham
SNP
On your first point, the resourcing of any other safer consumption project would be an on-going process between my officials and officials at Edinburgh counc...
Sue Webber
Con
I would hate to see a safer drug consumption facility being funded at the expense of other critical services in Edinburgh, because we cannot afford to cut an...
Elena Whitham
SNP
Yes, and I absolutely take that point. As for the case that was brought to our attention on social media, I asked officials to start looking into it straigh...
Sue Webber
Con
I would be grateful for that.
Elena Whitham
SNP
I will also keep the committee informed about what can be learned from that case once I get a fuller picture back.
Sue Webber
Con
That is very helpful. That way, we can make sure that no other person falls through the system like that. Thank you very much.
Orlando Heijmer-Mason (Scottish Government)
I have something to add to the earlier point about evaluation. Obviously, we would all want any evaluation of the consumption room trial in Glasgow to be so ...
Sue Webber
Con
That is very helpful. Thank you.
Collette Stevenson (East Kilbride) (SNP)
SNP
I want to touch on one thing in relation to the safe consumption rooms and the pilot scheme, then I will move on to the national specification. One of the r...
Elena Whitham
SNP
I will answer part of that and then see whether Susanne Millar wants to come in. If we consider the running costs of such a facility, we can see that staffi...
Susanne Millar
The facility will be open from 9 to 9, seven days a week, 365 days a year. One of the pieces of work that we are doing just now is specifically on the facili...
Collette Stevenson
SNP
That is pretty reassuring, especially for people with addictions being signposted outwith those hours. I turn to the national specification. The committee h...