Politicians hit out as Home Office decline invite to Glasgow drug deaths summit

Public Health Minister Joe FitzPatrick and MP Alison Thewliss condemn the UK government’s failure to act over the drug deaths emergency in Scotland after it rejected all requests from the Scottish Government to help reduce drug deaths in Scotland.

Yesterday Joe FitzPatrick told MSPs about plans for a drugs deaths task force, the Scottish Government’s continued support for a public health approach, and a summit that the UK Government have been invited to attend.

The UK Government later ruled out discussion of such facilities – despite calls to consider them - and declined the invitation to attend a planned summit in Glasgow.

Mr FitzPatrick said: "The high-handed arrogance with which the Tories have dismissed all of our requests out of hand speaks volumes about their whole approach to government. The very fact that they deliberately delayed issuing this response until just minutes after MSPs had discussed this matter in Holyrood adds insult to injury.

"How can the Tories seriously say they want to continue to engage on this issue when they won’t even come to meetings?

"What Scotland faces in terms of drug deaths is an emergency – addressing that will need new approaches even if at first they may be challenging. Everyone should be working together on this important issue, and if the best the Tories have to offer is half-hearted good wishes then they really are beneath contempt.

Campaigning SNP MP, Alison Thewliss, also called their actions "reckless" and "irresponsible."

Yesterday, in a letter to the MP for Glasgow Central – who has led the campaign on tackling drug related deaths in Scotland - the Minister for Crime and Policing refused to commit to attending a vital drugs summit in Glasgow or even exploring the option of piloting medically-supervised overdose prevention rooms.

Commenting, Alison Thewliss MP said:

"Last weekend, I stood in George Square in solidarity with people whose lives have been devastated by drug addiction. I’m utterly furious that the Home Secretary doesn’t even see fit to respond herself, never mind deign to attend a crucial drugs summit in Glasgow.

"We have a public health crisis in Scotland, and it's taken the UK Government 6 weeks to respond with platitudes from the Minister for Crime and Policing. To continue to dismiss the overwhelming evidence in support of a Supervised Drug Consumption Facility (SDCF) out of hand is appalling.

"In the Programme for Government this week the First Minister referred to Scotland's drug deaths as a public health emergency, and committed an extra £20 million to help tackle the issue - the UK government won’t even bother to come Glasgow and find out why people are dying. We once again see a tale of two governments.

"Drug deaths are at a record high not only in Scotland, but also in England and Wales. It's plain to see that the current system is not adequately tackling the problem. The Tories know this, they've seen the evidence, and yet they actively choose to do nothing. That's irresponsible, and it's reckless.

"The UK Government must wake up on this issue. The Prime Minister and the Home Secretary must now get out from behind their desks in Westminster, come to Glasgow and see why urgent action is needed. We cannot wait."