Chamber and committees

The next question is, that amendment S6M-00400.3, in the name of Gillian Mackay, which seeks to amend motion S6M-00400, in the name of Angela Constance, on tackling drug-related deaths, be agreed to. Are we agreed?

Members: No.

There will be a division. Members should cast their votes now.

The vote is now closed.

The next question is, that amendment S6M-00400.2, in the name of Alex Cole-Hamilton, which seeks to amend motion S6M-00400, in the name of Angela Constance, on tackling drug-related deaths, be agreed to. Are we agreed?

Members: No.

The result of the division on motion S6M-00400, in the name of Angela Constance, on tackling drug-related deaths, as amended, is: For 94, Against 28, Abstentions 0.

Motion, as amended, agreed to,

That the Parliament supports the national mission to tackle drug-related deaths and harms; welcomes proposals for the introduction of guidance to increase the accessibility of residential rehabilitation programmes; notes that increased funding is supporting enhancements to ensure that resources reach frontline treatment, rehabilitation and recovery services in areas of acute demand; believes that the new Medication-Assisted Treatment Standards are fundamental to ensuring that everyone who requires support can get access to the drug treatment or support option that they seek; further believes that actions on the standards, such as the implementation of same-day prescribing and increasing the range of treatment options available across the country, will help save lives; supports calls for an urgent four-nations summit to consider reform of the 50-year-old Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 to fully align the law with a public health response, so that all options for tackling the harm caused by drugs can be deployed, if supported by the Scottish Parliament; considers that the resources of the police and justice system should be focused on supporting lifesaving, public health interventions and believes that all options within the existing legal framework should be explored to support the delivery of safe consumption facilities; notes that delivering the new Medication-Assisted Treatment Standards will require significant service reform; believes that, given the scale of the drugs deaths crisis in Scotland, there must be public accountability and scrutiny over implementation of the standards; calls on the Scottish Government to report on a six-monthly basis to the Parliament on the progress of implementation and service improvement; considers that safe consumption rooms are an important public health measure that could reduce drug deaths and deliver wider benefits to communities, as they have done elsewhere; condemns the UK Government’s refusal to support trials in Scotland and urges it to reconsider; calls on the Scottish Government to investigate, as a matter of urgency, what options it has to establish legal and safe consumption rooms within the existing legal framework; notes the recommendation made by Sir Harry Burns to routinely record adverse childhood experiences, and believes that all aspects of recovery and treatment should be trauma-informed; understands that guidance has previously been issued by the Lord Advocate to police officers relating to the use of recorded police warnings in certain cases of minor offending; would support a new Lord Advocate reviewing this guidance and examining how it can be strengthened, in light of the resolution of the Parliament on motion S5M-24396 on 18 March 2021 and the support expressed for working towards diverting people caught in possession of drugs for personal use into treatment, and believes that a parliamentary statement after the summer recess from the new Lord Advocate on the principles and practicalities of diversion would be beneficial in informing public debate and the response of authorities to Scotland’s drugs deaths crisis.

There are six questions to be put as a result of today’s business. The first question is, that amendment S6M-00400.1, in the name of Sue Webber, which seeks to amend motion S6M-00400, in the name of Angela Constance, on tackling drug-related deaths, be agreed to. Are we agreed?

Members: No.

I remind members that social distancing measures are in place in the chamber and across the Holyrood campus. I ask members to take care to observe the measures, including when entering and exiting the chamber. They should use the aisles and walkways only to access their seat and when moving around the chamber.

The next item of business is a debate on motion S6M-00400, in the name of Angela Constance, on tackling drug-related deaths. I will give members a couple of minutes to rearrange their seating positions.

I invite members who wish to speak in the debate to press their request-to-speak button.

Could you wind up, please, Ms McNeill?

I thank Mr Kerr for advance notice of this point of order. Seating in the chamber is currently restricted, as we know, as a result of Covid restrictions. It is, of course, for parties to determine allocations of available seats, and not a matter for standing orders. While all remote contributions do not currently enable interventions, I appreciate that Mr Kerr is referring to specific circumstances, and it may be the case that this is an issue that the Parliamentary Bureau will wish to discuss.

The next item of business is consideration of Parliamentary Bureau motion S6M-00429, on committee membership. I ask George Adam, on behalf of the Parliamentary Bureau, to move the motion.

We move to supplementary questions.