Questions and answers

Question reference: S6W-32536

Asked by: Annie Wells, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 December 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 10 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how it is working to prevent young people from becoming involved in the illicit drug trade.

The criminal exploitation of young people through involvement in the illicit drug trade is a significant concern for the Scottish Government. Partners on the Serious Organised Crime Taskforce (SOCT), which I chair, continue to use every means at their disposal to disrupt serious organised crime, including illicit drugs, and to raise awareness of the impact it has on individuals, including young people, and our communities.

The Scottish Government published 'Practitioner Guidance on Criminal Exploitation' in June 2023 on behalf of the SOCT. The guidance aims to maximise Scotland’s coordinated and joined up response to all exploited individuals, making it easier for practitioners across Scotland to support children and vulnerable adults who have been victims of exploitation. The SOCT also held a criminal exploitation conference in June 2024 to publicise the guidance.

The latest SOCT Progress Report, published in December, details some of the work over the past year, including projects such as the Daniel Spargo-Mabbs Foundation’s very successful Drugs Education Pilot in Grampian schools and the “Fearless” drugs campaign which was launched with young people at a school in Edinburgh.

Serious Organised Crime Taskforce: progress report 2024 - gov.scot

Question reference: S6W-32538

Asked by: Annie Wells, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 December 2024
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 9 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many hospitalisations have been attributed to non-fatal drug misuse in (a) Scotland and (b) the Glasgow region, in each year between 2020 and 2024.

Public Health Scotland publish information on drug-related hospital admissions. Data from 1996-97 to 2022-23 is available at https://publichealthscotland.scot/publications/drug-related-hospital-statistics/drug-related-hospital-statistics-scotland-2022-to-2023/. The release of data covering 2023-24 is expected in the spring. The accompanying Data Explorer Dashboard provides a more comprehensive breakdown of the statistics, including by location, and provides information for both NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and Glasgow City Alcohol and Drug Partnership.

The Scottish Government or Public Health Scotland do not currently publish information on the outcome or discharge status of admissions and are therefore unable to provide information on hospitalisations specifically attributed to non-fatal drug misuse.

Question reference: S6W-32544

Asked by: Annie Wells, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 December 2024
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 9 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many under-18-year-olds have received medical treatment after being accidentally stuck by improperly disposed hypodermic needles in the Glasgow region in each year from 2020 to 2024.

Information is not available centrally on the number of under-18-year-olds who have received medical treatment after being accidentally stuck by improperly disposed hypodermic needles.

Injecting equipment provision (IEP) is a key harm reduction intervention. Public Health Scotland publish information on IEP in Scotland, including the number of outlets, attendances, and the types of injecting equipment distributed to people who used illicit drugs. The latest release, covering 2022-23, is available at https://publichealthscotland.scot/publications/injecting-equipment-provision-in-scotland/injecting-equipment-provision-in-scotland-2022-to-2023/.

Question reference: S6W-32541

Asked by: Annie Wells, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 December 2024
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 9 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many people have received hospital treatment after being accidentally stuck by improperly disposed hypodermic needles in (a) Scotland and (b) the Glasgow region, in each year from 2020 to 2024.

Information is not available centrally on the number of people who have received hospital treatment after being accidentally stuck by improperly disposed hypodermic needles.

Injecting equipment provision (IEP) is a key harm reduction intervention. Public Health Scotland publish information on IEP in Scotland, including the number of outlets, attendances, and the types of injecting equipment distributed to people who used illicit drugs. The latest release, covering 2022-23, is available at https://publichealthscotland.scot/publications/injecting-equipment-provision-in-scotland/injecting-equipment-provision-in-scotland-2022-to-2023/.

Question reference: S6W-32537

Asked by: Annie Wells, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 December 2024
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 9 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to address the improper disposal of used hypodermic needles.

The Scottish Government does not have responsibility for addressing the improper disposal of used hypodermic needles. We expect that NHS Boards, drug and alcohol treatment services, and third sector organisations will have their own plans in place to address this issue.

Injecting equipment provision (IEP) is a key harm reduction intervention. Public Health Scotland publish information on IEP in Scotland, including the number of outlets, attendances, and the types of injecting equipment distributed to people who used illicit drugs. The latest release, covering 2022-23, is available at https://publichealthscotland.scot/publications/injecting-equipment-provision-in-scotland/injecting-equipment-provision-in-scotland-2022-to-2023/.

Question reference: S6W-32864

Asked by: Annie Wells, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 January 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 21 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what measures are in place to address the reportedly high number of babies being born with a drug dependency.

Question reference: S6W-32382

Asked by: Annie Wells, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 December 2024
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 24 December 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a detailed breakdown of what any funding that it allocated to its national mission to reduce drug-related deaths and harms between 2022 to 2024 has been spent on.

The National Mission annual report is structured to relate to the six outcomes and six cross-cutting priorities in the National Mission Plan. Outcomes and cross-cutting priorities chapters have the following format: an overview provides context, including data, to understand the scope and purpose of the outcome. Progress set out our activities related to the outcome throughout the reporting period: the projects being delivered across sectors, locally and nationally have been highlighted, including dedicated funding and case studies.

The National Mission annual report finance sections aim to provide greater transparency of National Mission funding. Section 8.3 shows the funding distribution and section 8.4 shows the funding commitment and theme. The reports for financial years 2021-22, 2022-23 and 2023-24 are available at:

National Mission on Drugs: annual report 2023-2024 - gov.scot

National Mission on Drugs: annual report 2022-2023 - gov.scot

National Mission on Drugs: annual report 2021-2022 - gov.scot

The Corra Foundation publish an annual report on projects funded via the National Drugs Mission Funds and are available at:

National Drugs Mission Funds Report 2023-2024

National Drugs Mission Funds Report 2021-2023

Funding allocated to Alcohol and Drug Partnerships (ADPs) is available at: Alcohol and Drug Partnerships: funding allocations - gov.scot

Question reference: S6W-32380

Asked by: Annie Wells, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 16 December 2024
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 19 December 2024

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it has reportedly decided to freeze the funding for the national mission to reduce drug-related deaths and harms at £60 million in its draft Budget 2025-26.

The funding for Drugs and Alcohol in the 2025-26 draft budget is £80.9m. This includes £60m as part of our commitment to provide £250m in additional funding over 5 years to reduce drug deaths and improve the lives of people who use drugs and alcohol.

£19.1m has moved to baselined funding which ADPs have highlighted as important for sustainability and recruitment.

Overall funding for Alcohol and Drugs, including Alcohol and Drug Partnerships (ADPs) has been maintained at the record levels set in 2023-24.

Question reference: S6W-32381

Asked by: Annie Wells, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 16 December 2024
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 19 December 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports that it has frozen the funding for the national mission to reduce drug-related deaths and harms at £60 million in its draft Budget 2025-26, and that this represents a real-terms reduction, which rehabilitation services in the Glasgow region will be impacted by this.

The funding for Drugs and Alcohol in the 2025-26 draft budget is £80.9m. This includes £60m as part of our commitment to provide £250m in additional funding over 5 years to reduce drug deaths and improve the lives of people who use drugs and alcohol.

£19.1m of funding has moved to baselined funding which ADPs have highlighted as important for sustainability and recruitment.

Overall funding for Alcohol and Drugs, including Alcohol and Drug Partnerships (ADPs) has been maintained at the record levels set in 2023-24.

No rehabilitation services will be directly impacted as a result of this budget.

Question reference: S6W-32379

Asked by: Annie Wells, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 16 December 2024
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 18 December 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of spending allocated to the national mission to reduce drug-related deaths and harms was allocated to rehabilitation services between 2022 and 2024.

The National Mission annual report finance sections aim to provide greater transparency of National Mission funding, including rehabilitation services. The reports for financial years 2021-22, 2022-23 and 2023-24 are available at:

National Mission on Drugs: annual report 2023-2024 - gov.scot (section 8.4)

National Mission on Drugs: annual report 2022-2023 - gov.scot (section 8.4)

National Mission on Drugs: annual report 2021-2022 - gov.scot (section 8.4)

Chamber and committees