Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of the (a) accessibility and (b) provision of take-home naloxone in County Durham to help reduce drug-related deaths.

Local authorities are responsible for assessing local needs and commissioning drug prevention, treatment and harm reduction services to meet these needs. This includes making sure they have sufficient coverage of take-home naloxone to prevent drug-related deaths.

Durham Public Health funds take-home naloxone for vulnerable service users, and their carers, in hostels and in police custody suites. Naloxone is also available in prison and on prison release.

The Government is encouraging and supporting local areas to increase the accessibility and expand the provision of naloxone with guidance, advice and tools.