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
8 results
Clear
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
Scotland Office
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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
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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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