Source · Select Committees · Home Affairs Committee
Third Report - Drugs
Home Affairs Committee
HC 198
Published 31 August 2023
Recommendations
21
Accepted in Part
Para 86
Update the 10-Year Drugs Strategy to increase available harm reduction approaches for treatment.
Recommendation
We recommend that the Government update the strategy to increase the range of harm reduction approaches available to support a person’s treatment and recovery from drugs in line with the approaches outlined in this report.
Government Response Summary
The government partially accepted the recommendation, stating it already provides a broad range of harm reduction interventions, including increasing naloxone availability and supporting local provision of other medicines. It committed to continuing to update guidance on evidence-based harm reduction interventions.
Home Office
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23
Accepted in Part
Para 99
Devise and publish a cross-departmental action plan and UK-wide campaign to tackle drug stigma.
Recommendation
We recommend that the Combating Drugs Minister leads on devising a cross- departmental action plan to tackle stigma. In devising the action plan, the Government must engage with people with lived experience of drugs and stakeholders in the drug treatment …
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Government Response Summary
The government partially accepts, agreeing on the importance of reducing stigma and committing to cross-government work and collaboration with devolved administrations. However, they reject the specific request for a published cross-departmental action plan, instead tasking OHID to lead a workstream and publish a report on stigma's impact.
Home Office
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37
Accepted in Part
Pilot inclusion of Prevention Officers within County Lines Taskforces to share good practice.
Recommendation
We welcome the British Transport Police’s efforts to improve responses to child exploitation through the secondment of two Prevention Officers from the Children’s Society. We recommend that the Government work with other police forces with a dedicated County Lines Taskforce …
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Government Response Summary
The government partially accepts, highlighting existing funding for the National County Lines Co-ordination Centre and specialist posts, but states it will "further consider" the specific recommendation to pilot Prevention Officers within County Lines Taskforces.
Home Office
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40
Accepted in Part
Extend Project ADDER nationally or preserve progress in pilot locations post-2025 conclusion.
Recommendation
We recommend that Project ADDER be extended across all of England and Wales if the assessments indicate that the Project is effect in achieving all of its aims: reducing drug-related deaths, drug-related offending, drug use, and disrupting the supply and …
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Government Response Summary
The government partially accepts the recommendation, deferring a decision on extending Project ADDER until after the 2025 evaluation, but commits to being clear on how progress will be preserved in existing pilot locations beyond 2025, through mechanisms like Combating Drugs Partnerships.
Home Office
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49
Accepted in Part
Para 171
Replicate Scotland’s medication-assisted treatment standards in England to ensure consistent minimum care.
Recommendation
We recommend that the Government replicate Scotland’s medication-assisted treatment standards in England to ensure that a consistent, minimum standard of care is available to people accessing opioid substitution treatment. In doing so, the 78 Drugs Government must first consult stakeholders …
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Government Response Summary
The government partially accepted the recommendation, stating it will review Scottish medication-assisted treatment standards to incorporate them into English guidance where appropriate, noting that England already uses a similar opioid substitution treatment self-assessment tool developed with stakeholder input.
Home Office
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57
Accepted in Part
Para 206
Establish a national naloxone programme in England and rapidly expand provision to at-risk groups.
Recommendation
We recommend that the Government establish a national naloxone programme in England to bring it in line with the devolved nations. We also recommend that the Government speed up its work on expanding the provision of naloxone following the UK-wide …
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Government Response Summary
The government partially accepted, explaining that naloxone provision is already supported by local public health grants and £1.6 million from the SSMTR Grant. OHID is developing legislative changes to broaden supply, and work is underway with HMPPS to increase availability, including for prison leavers.
Home Office
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59
Accepted in Part
Mandate all police forces to roll out voluntary naloxone provision, including funding and training.
Recommendation
We recommend that the Home Office requires all 43 police forces in England and Wales to roll out the voluntary provision of naloxone by operational officers. Volunteer officers must be provided with adequate training in the carrying and administration of …
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Government Response Summary
The government partially accepted, rejecting the requirement for mandatory rollout by all police forces, stating it's an operational decision for Chief Constables. However, the Home Office is supporting the NPCC in addressing barriers and developing national guidance for police officers carrying naloxone.
Home Office
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62
Accepted in Part
Para 220
Mandate police forces to record diversion scheme use for national overview and best practice.
Recommendation
We recommend that police forces record the use of diversion schemes in their force areas to develop a national picture and an understanding of best practice. The Home Office must regularly update the guidance to incorporate this evidence base.
Government Response Summary
The government aims to establish a more detailed national picture of Out of Court Disposals by examining their provision in all 43 police forces as part of an expansion pilot for drug possession offences. This work will provide an evidence base for future policy approaches regarding diversion schemes.
Home Office
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68
Accepted in Part
Para 234
Support randomised control trials into effectiveness of CBPMs for chronic pain treatment.
Recommendation
We recommend that the Government supports researchers to conduct randomised control trials into the effectiveness of CBPMs to treat chronic pain. If the evidence base supports this, and it is deemed to be cost-effective, we recommend that the Government enables …
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Government Response Summary
The government accepts the recommendation to support research into CBPMs for chronic pain, clarifying that researchers can seek scientific advice and apply for funding through the NIHR. They note that funding is competitive and emphasize the current lack of evidence, with NICE recommending further research.
Home Office
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Conclusions (5)
20
Conclusion
Accepted in Part
Para 86
The 10-Year Drugs Strategy recognises some harm reduction approaches but could go further. Abstinence-based recovery may not be an effective form of treatment for everyone. A broader range of harm reduction treatments are therefore required to help as many people into recovery as possible.
Government Response Summary
The government partially accepted the conclusion, stating it already provides a broad range of harm reduction interventions, including increasing naloxone availability and supporting local provision of other medicines. It committed to continuing to update guidance on evidence-based harm reduction interventions.
54
Conclusion
Accepted in Part
Para 192
We are concerned by the effect the Covid-19 pandemic has had on the provision of needle and syringe programmes. The UK must continue its efforts in preventing the spread of blood-borne viruses by ensuring needle and syringe programmes reach as wide a population as possible.
Government Response Summary
The government partially accepted, stating that existing programs already support blood-borne virus prevention and mentioning new funding via the SSMTR Grant (£1.3m) and a UKHSA pilot for data collection.
55
Conclusion
Accepted in Part
Para 193
The Combating Drugs Minister must work with the Department of Health and Social Care, the devolved administrations, and health partners to ensure that the provision of equipment—particularly low dead space syringes and safe water—is increased to reduce the transmission of blood-borne viruses and other illnesses. The Combating Drugs Minister must …
Government Response Summary
The government partially accepted, highlighting existing services and new investments through the SSMTR Grant (£1.3m for 2023/24), which specifies spending on low dead space syringes and supporting additional services. UKHSA is also planning a pilot for data collection.
56
Conclusion
Accepted in Part
Para 205
The evidence on the lifesaving effects of naloxone in counteracting opioid- related overdose is clear. We welcome the national naloxone programmes in the devolved nations but are concerned that no such programme exists in England. We also welcome the joint working between the Government and the devolved Drugs 79 administrations …
Government Response Summary
The government partially accepted, citing existing naloxone provision via local public health grants, £1.6 million from the SSMTR Grant for expansion, ongoing legislative changes by OHID to broaden supply, and efforts to implement availability in HMPPS community contact centres.
58
Conclusion
Accepted in Part
Para 207
The efforts of UK police forces to roll out this life saving treatment is welcome. However, provision of naloxone across English forces is not universal, which risks creating a postcode lottery on the availability of this potentially life-saving treatment in England. Further, while we recognise the concerns of some officers …
Government Response Summary
The government partially accepted, affirming support for naloxone availability but stating that carrying it is an operational decision for Chief Constables. The NPCC, with Home Office and OHID support, is working to address barriers and develop national guidance for police forces.