Problem drug use in Scotland follow-up: Glasgow’s Safer Drug Consumption Facility

Scottish Affairs Committee Closed Inquiry
Opened: 13 Jan 2025 Closed: 1 Dec 2025 Parliament page
This inquiry is examining the legal and policy challenges faced in setting up and running the pilot Safer Drugs Consumption Facility (SDCF) which opened in Glasgow in January 2025. This inquiry will examine the case for the facility, as well as its medical effectiveness in reducing drug-related harm in Scotland. … Read more
8 Recommendations
13 Conclusions
1 Report
4 Oral sessions
3 Letters
5 Events
Activity timeline 14 events
20 Nov
2025
Report published
16 Sep
2025
Report published
3 Sep
2025
Correspondence
3 Sep
2025
Formal meeting (private meeting) · The Grimond Room, Portcullis House
4 Jun
2025
Oral evidence
4 Jun
2025
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Room 6, Palace of Westminster
7 May
2025
Oral evidence
7 May
2025
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Room 6, Palace of Westminster
19 Mar
2025
Correspondence
5 Mar
2025
Oral evidence
5 Mar
2025
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Room 15, Palace of Westminster
12 Feb
2025
Oral evidence
Oral evidence sessions 4 sessions
4 Jun 2025
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Glasgow’s SDCF – Session 4
Laura Zeballos · Scottish Government Marcus Starling · Home Office Neil Gray MSP · Scottish Government Rt Hon Dame Diana Johnson DBE MP · Home Office
7 May 2025
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Glasgow’s SDCF – Session 3
Dorothy Bain KC, The Lord Advocate Jenny Hamilton · Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service Superintendent Joanne McEwan, Police Scotland
5 Mar 2025
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Problem drug use in Scotland follow-up: Glasgow’s Safer Drug Consumption Facility
Councillor Allan Casey · Glasgow City Council Dr Saket Priyadarshi · NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde Kelda Gaffney · Glasgow City Health and Social Care Partnership Lynn MacDonald · NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde
12 Feb 2025
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Glasgow’s SDCF – Session 1
Andrew McAuley · Glasgow Caledonian University Catriona Matheson · The University of Stirling Gillian Shorter · Queen’s University Belfast Vittal Katikireddi · The University of Glasgow
Title HC No. Published Items Response
3rd report - Problem drug use in Scotland follow-up: Glasgow’s S… HC 630 16 Sep 2025 21 Responded
Recommendations & Conclusions
21 results
1 Recommendation Rejected
3rd report - Problem drug use in S…
Adopt a balanced, evidence-based approach to tackling problem drug use.
We call on both Governments to adopt a balanced, evidence-based approach to problem drug use. (Conclusion, Paragraph 35)
Government Response
The government rejected the implied call for legislative changes to permit harm reduction measures like safer drug consumption rooms or the provision of drug paraphernalia, stating such actions would be unlawful under current legislation and it has no plans for changes.
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2 Conclusion Deferred
3rd report - Problem drug use in S…
Mandate independent evaluation findings determine future of The Thistle safe drug consumption facility.
We recognise that the opening of The Thistle on a pilot-basis presents an opportunity to test the effectiveness of SDCFs in Glasgow’s unique context. We believe the evidence provided by the independent evaluation panel should be determinative in discussions about … Read more
Government Response
The government deflected by discussing a Home Office licence issued for drug checking services at 55 Hunter Street, Glasgow, while clarifying that this licence does not cover The Thistle's safer drug consumption service.
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3 Conclusion Deferred
3rd report - Problem drug use in S…
Articulate The Thistle's rationale and objectives clearly and consistently to improve public understanding.
A range of rationales have been given for why there is a need for The Thistle and what effect it is intended to have. This has been unhelpful to public understanding of the facility and may result in unrealistic expectations … Read more
Government Response
The government deflected by reiterating its commitment to an evidence-based drug policy and highlighting existing successful programs, rather than addressing the clarity of The Thistle facility's rationale and objectives as recommended.
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4 Conclusion Rejected
3rd report - Problem drug use in S…
The Thistle's current legal position creates risks for operators and users lacking a full framework.
The current Lord Advocate’s statement of prosecution policy has been pivotal in enabling The Thistle to open. However, the Lord Advocate’s prosecutorial discretion is not a substitute for a considered legal framework to enable and regulate safer drug consumption facilities. … Read more
Government Response
The government rejected the call for a new legal framework for safer drug consumption facilities, explicitly stating it has no plans to amend the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 to enable their operation in the UK.
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5 Recommendation Rejected
3rd report - Problem drug use in S…
Establishing multiple safer drug consumption facilities requires a clear, common UK legal framework.
There has been interest in establishing SCDFs in other parts of Scotland, and the Lord Advocate has indicated that she will consider any such applications on their merits. Rather than having multiple facilities with individual 48 prosecution policy arrangements, it … Read more
Government Response
The government rejects the recommendation for legislative action to provide a common legal basis for SDCFs, stating it has no plans to amend the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.
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6 Conclusion
3rd report - Problem drug use in S…
The 'gold standard' Thistle facility is expensive, leaving alternative cost-effective models untested.
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, … Read more
Scotland Office
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7 Conclusion
3rd report - Problem drug use in S…
Addressing Scotland's severe drug crisis requires significant, commensurate investment due to high fatalities.
However, any discussion of the cost of The Thistle must be considered in the context of Scotland’s drugs crisis, with 1,172 people having died from drugs in 2023 alone. While it is right that the cost of The Thistle is … Read more
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8 Conclusion
3rd report - Problem drug use in S…
Safer drug consumption facilities are complementary tools, not substitutes for recovery services.
It is also clear to us that SDCFs must not come at the cost of funding current recovery services. It is not an ‘either/or’. Rather, SDCFs are just one tool available to combat problem drug use, which is complementary to, … Read more
Scotland Office
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9 Conclusion
3rd report - Problem drug use in S…
Exploring alternative, more cost-effective safer drug consumption facility models like mobile units has merit.
The Thistle is an example of just one model of a safer drug consumption facility, and it is possible that others — such as mobile units — could provide more cost-effective solutions, or interventions better suited to the needs of … Read more
Scotland Office
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10 Conclusion
3rd report - Problem drug use in S…
Local community concerns regarding The Thistle's impact require serious attention despite ongoing evaluation.
Community support and the impact of the SDCF on the local community is of paramount importance to the success of The Thistle. While we are reassured that the ongoing independent evaluation is monitoring the levels of discarded paraphernalia and the … Read more
Scotland Office
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11 Conclusion
3rd report - Problem drug use in S…
Develop and implement a responsive communication strategy for The Thistle, agreed by the Community Forum.
A responsive communication strategy must be developed by The Thistle, agreed by the Community Forum, and put in place as soon as possible in order to support the community engagement and partnership working that is crucial to the success of … Read more
Scotland Office
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12 Conclusion
3rd report - Problem drug use in S…
Engage key stakeholders and the local community to address concerns about The Thistle's impact.
It is vital that key stakeholders of The Thistle are engaged to address concerns about the impact of the facility and continue to work with the local community on how to address any concerns raised. We recognise that it may … Read more
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13 Conclusion Rejected
3rd report - Problem drug use in S…
Legal barriers prevent The Thistle from operating effective drug inhalation rooms.
Drug trends in Scotland have changed and are changing. For The Thistle to be effective, it must be able to meet the needs of the population it is trying to help, which it cannot do without an inhalation room. As … Read more
Government Response
The government rejects the idea of enabling an inhalation room at The Thistle, stating that providing equipment for drug inhalation is unlawful under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 and it has no plans for legislative changes.
Scotland Office
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14 Recommendation Rejected
3rd report - Problem drug use in S…
Require the Lord Advocate and Scottish Government to consider future inhalation room applications on their merits.
The Lord Advocate believes that widening the statement of prosecution policy to allow an inhalation room to operate is undesirable and we understand the reasons she has given. However, given that expert medical advice suggests that allowing the inhalation of … Read more
Government Response
The UK Government rejects the recommendation, stating it does not support drug consumption rooms or the expansion of facilities for drug inhalation, and has no plans for legislative changes to enable them.
Scotland Office
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15 Conclusion Rejected
3rd report - Problem drug use in S…
The Thistle's full effectiveness is inhibited without key harm reduction equipment and services.
Having access to equipment such as single-use tourniquets, testing drugs onsite, and allowing visitors to inhale drugs have all been highlighted as key to The Thistle achieving its maximum effectiveness. Without these, a full and fair evaluation of The Thistle … Read more
Government Response
The government rejects the implied need to enable access to equipment like tourniquets or allow drug inhalation at The Thistle, stating that such provisions are unlawful under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 and it has no plans to make legislative changes.
Scotland Office
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16 Recommendation Rejected
3rd report - Problem drug use in S…
Require UK Government to consider applications for medical equipment exemptions at The Thistle.
If an application for exemptions from the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 to enable the provision of medical equipment at The Thistle were made by Glasgow City HSCP or the Scottish Government, the UK Government should consider such an application … Read more
Government Response
The government rejects considering exemptions for providing medical equipment at The Thistle, stating it does not support DCRs or expansion for inhalation and has no plans to change legislation.
Scotland Office
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17 Recommendation Not Addressed
3rd report - Problem drug use in S…
Urgently complete assessment and support The Thistle's drug checking licence application.
The Home Office should urgently complete its assessment of The Thistle for a drug checking licence and should ensure any necessary support is provided to ensure The Thistle is successful in its application. The Home Office should provide an update … Read more
Government Response
The government clarifies that a controlled drug licence was issued in October to the Greater Glasgow and Clyde NHS Board for a separate drug checking service, and this licence does not cover The Thistle itself.
Scotland Office
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18 Recommendation Acknowledged
3rd report - Problem drug use in S…
Require UK Government to seriously consider evaluation of The Thistle and merits of SDCFs.
The Minister has stated that the UK Government will consider the evidence emerging from the pilot. However, it was clear from the Minister’s evidence that the Home Office will not make legislative changes, even if the evaluation finds that the … Read more
Government Response
The government acknowledges its commitment to an evidence-based approach to drug policy within the law, citing various existing evidence-based programs as examples.
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19 Recommendation Acknowledged
3rd report - Problem drug use in S…
Demonstrate an evidence-based approach and consider The Thistle's independent evaluation for policymaking.
The UK Government must demonstrate that it has an evidence-based approach to policy making and will consider the independent evaluation of The Thistle. Any intervention found to be effective at saving lives and reducing harm should not be dismissed. (Recommendation, … Read more
Government Response
The government acknowledges its commitment to an evidence-based approach to drug policy, citing existing programs like Individual Placement and Support, naloxone availability, and heroin-assisted treatment.
Scotland Office
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20 Conclusion Rejected
3rd report - Problem drug use in S…
The Thistle's operational status remains precarious without UK Government approval or legislation.
Without the UK Government’s approval or a change in legislation, The Thistle and potential other Safer Drug Consumption Facilities could, theoretically, continue to operate in Scotland indefinitely but this is not a desirable situation as their status would be precarious … Read more
Government Response
The government acknowledges devolved responsibilities but reiterates its stance of having no plans to amend the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 to enable DCRs, thus maintaining the 'precarious and uncertain' status highlighted by the committee.
Scotland Office
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21 Recommendation Rejected
3rd report - Problem drug use in S…
Work with Scottish Government to create sustainable legal framework for Safer Drug Consumption Facilities.
If the independent evaluation of The Thistle deems the pilot a success, and the Scottish Government proceeds to make The Thistle permanent, and perhaps to open further SDCFs, the UK Government should work with the Scottish Government to make the … Read more
Government Response
The government rejects the recommendation for legislative changes to support SDCFs if The Thistle pilot is successful, stating it has no plans to amend the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.
Scotland Office
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Government Response AI assessment · 14 of 8 classified
Acknowledged 2
Deferred 2
Not Addressed 1
Rejected 9
Total 8 recs + 13 conclusions
Correspondence 3 letters
3 Sep 2025 To committee Letter from Minister for Policing and Crime Prevention regarding Thistle License, dated 21 July 2025
Parliament page
19 Mar 2025 To committee Letter from Annemarie Ward, CEO of Faces & Voices of Recovery UK, regarding oral evidence presented to the Committee as part of its inquiry into Problem drug use in Scotland follow-up: Glasgow’s Safer Drug Consumption Facility, dated 6 March 2025
Parliament page
12 Feb 2025 Correspondence to the Chair from Fiona McIntyre, Royal Pharmaceutical Society Scotland, regarding Problem Drug Use in Scotland Follow-up: Glasgow's Safer Drug Consumption Facility, dated 30 January 202
Parliament page