Last week I responded to a Westminster Hall Debate on the Prevention of Drug Deaths in my capacity as Shadow Health Minister.
In 2021, the Conservative Government published the 10-Year Drug Strategy which, amongst many improvements, had seen an increase in the number of quality treatment places by nearly 19,000 by November 2023, with treatment places for young people also increasing by 16% in the same period. I highlighted the need for the present Government to build on this important work.
It is also vital that the Government addresses emerging risks, including setting out a coherent and viable plan to tackle the increased consumption and presence in UK drug markets of synthetic opioids.
You can read my speech at https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/2025-03-27/debates/FDDE7300-472F-4840-A69E-EA48B6B77CE2/PreventionOfDrugDeaths