Oral Answers to Questions

Ronnie Cowan Excerpts

Tuesday 24th July 2018 Commons Chamber

[Matt Hancock]

Those are really important questions. On funding, I announced only last week £487 million to improve technology and technology services to ensure that they can be as high quality as possible. On patient safety, the key is to keep improving technology so that it gets better and better. On universal access, we must use technology in such a way that patients who want to access services through technology can do so, as that frees up resources so that more can be done for those who do not want to use technology, meaning that we preserve universal access.

[Ronnie Cowan (Inverclyde) (SNP)]

2. What recent discussions he has had with the Home Secretary on policies to tackle drug-related harm.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health and Social Care (Steve Brine)]

I attended the most recent cross-Government board meeting, which was held in June and chaired by the Home Secretary, to discuss the implementation of the drugs strategy. We know that drugs can devastate lives and damage our communities. The Government’s approach remains clear: we must do everything that we can to prevent drug use and support people through successful treatment and recovery.

[Ronnie Cowan]

Given the recent statistics showing that drug-related deaths in Portugal are three per million, compared with the UK figure of 64 per million, does the Minister agree that the UK Government should follow Portugal’s example and make drug policy reform a matter primarily for Health and Social Care, rather than the Home Office?