Mr John Mann (Bassetlaw, Labour)

The issue has been discussed by my primary care trust and by the drugs intervention police unit. I shall discuss it further with them tomorrow morning. The health services would be keen to have that information, but they are nervous about the legal implications of getting it. However, if it were or could be provided by law, they would want to get it precisely because of the issue of diversion. The police are not interested in the individual records of patients; they are interested in trends, and I agree with them. What is important to them is to know the kinds of treatment being given—the modalities—and the overall consequences.

For example, if 300 people are on a certain dosage of methadone, it is worth the police's while to know and understand that. If those people are all using Subatex tablets, the police should know that. If they are all on   detox programmes or a combination of treatments, the police should know, because then they will know what to look for when it comes to diversion issues. If anyone were admitting to buying naltrexone in my area, where there are no prescribers of naltrexone, that would clearly be an issue for the police when they investigated supply coming in from elsewhere. I welcome the Minister's offer to consider that further.

See this speech in context