Part of the debate – in the Scottish Parliament at on 14 March 2024.
The First Minister:
—that drugs and alcohol policy will be one of the areas that we will look to give further funding to.
I am happy to write to Douglas Ross with more detail on the action that we are taking. We have ensured that there is greater carriage of naloxone, with more than 150,000 kits. We are working with Glasgow City Council on more radical approaches, such as a safe consumption room. We are increasing the number of beds in residential rehab, and we continue to work with local authorities to help them to tackle the issue.
I make the offer that I have already made to Douglas Ross and to others across the chamber that we are willing to work cross party in order to resolve one of the most difficult challenges that this country has faced. It is an issue that has plagued our society not just for years but for decades.
Ministers make up the Government and almost all are members of the House of Lords or the House of Commons. There are three main types of Minister. Departmental Ministers are in charge of Government Departments. The Government is divided into different Departments which have responsibilities for different areas. For example the Treasury is in charge of Government spending. Departmental Ministers in the Cabinet are generally called 'Secretary of State' but some have special titles such as Chancellor of the Exchequer. Ministers of State and Junior Ministers assist the ministers in charge of the department. They normally have responsibility for a particular area within the department and are sometimes given a title that reflects this - for example Minister of Transport.
