Select committee: Scottish Affairs Committee
Conclusion 6
3rd report - Problem drug use in Scotland follow-up: Glasgow’s Safer Drug Consumption Facility
Published 16 Sep 2025
Addressed to Scotland Office
Scottish Affairs Committee Problem drug use in Scotland follow-up: Glasgow’s Safer Drug Consumption Facility All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Conclusion (the committee's words)
Given the severity of problem drug use in Glasgow, it is clear that decisive, radical action is needed. The Thistle is a gold standard facility and represents an intervention that is commensurate with the scale of Glasgow’s drug problem. However, it is also expensive. The Thistle could prove good value by saving money elsewhere in the health service, but it will be for the Scottish Government and Glasgow City Council to determine this following the evaluation, and to decide whether to continue The Thistle’s funding beyond the three-year pilot. We note that The Thistle is described as ‘gold standard’, and consider that a less sophisticated model of the facility could potentially offer corresponding harm reduction benefits, at a reduced cost. But, given that the pilot is being run as the stated ‘gold standard’ model, the effectiveness and therefore value for money and harm reduction capability of a less sophisticated model would remain untested and therefore largely unknown. (Conclusion, Paragraph 82)
From: Scottish Affairs Committee, 3rd report - Problem drug use in Scotland follow-up: Glasgow’s Safer Drug Consumption Facility (HC 630), 16 September 2025
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 20 November 2025 (deadline 16 November 2025).
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The government states that it "does not support drug consumption rooms" and has "no plans" to amend the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 to enable them, while committing to an evidence-based approach and to working with the Scottish Government.
- On tourniquets and safer inhalation pipes, the government says supplying them "would constitute a breach of the law" and it has "no plans to make legislative changes". It says any request for exemptions would be "a matter for the Lord Advocate".
- On drug checking, it says a Home Office licence for the Glasgow drug checking service was issued in October to the Greater Glasgow and Clyde NHS Board. It states that The Thistle, which operates separately, is not covered by this licence.
- On evidence, the government says it is "committed to an evidence-based approach towards drug policy within the law". On the independent evaluation of The Thistle, it says it "will welcome any evidence that emerges" following the three-year pilot.
- It says it is "committed to working closely and positively with the Scottish Government", while recognising "differences in approach". It states the next UK Drugs Ministerial will take place in "early 2026".