Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the Deaths related to drug poisoning by selected substance data published by the Office for National Statistics on 15 August 2019, how many of the 4,359 deaths in 2018 related to drug poisoning were related to the use of (a) drugs prescribed to the deceased by a medical professional, (b) drugs purchased over the counter and (c) drugs which have been diverted (prescribed for someone else), by each selected substance.

The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I
have asked the Authority to reply.