Drugs: Prescribed Drug Addiction

Lord Taverne Excerpts

Thursday 12th July 2012 Lords Chamber

[Earl Howe]

Most certainly yes, and that conforms to all the expert advice that we in the department and local commissioners have received.

[Lord Taverne]

Will the Minister ensure that whatever else is done, nothing shall prejudice the treatment of illegal drugs and of alcoholism, which is the greatest problem? Will he also take note that in the distant past, when I was a Home Office Minister and Roy Jenkins was Secretary of State for the first time, the use and possession of drugs such as heroin was not a crime and that this greatly facilitated the possibility of access to treatment?

[Earl Howe]

There are no plans to revert to the former situation as regards heroin, but my noble friend makes the point that alcohol addiction is an extremely important issue. The commissioning of services to treat addiction will in the future architecture of the system be devolved to local areas. The all-party group on benzodiazepines on which the noble Earl sits has done some important work in exposing those areas where services are not as good as they should be.