Seòmar agus comataidhean

A few members still have to come in. I will bring in Roz McCall and then Sandesh Gulhane.

Kirsten Horsburgh can have the final word.

That brings us neatly up to time. I thank you all for joining us this morning; it has been a really helpful update. We will have a short suspension to allow for a changeover of witnesses.

Thank you, minister—that is helpful.

We had an interesting session with panel 1 earlier this morning. We will begin, as we began with our earlier witnesses, with today’s reporting on the increase in the number of recorded suspected drug deaths and the noticeable decrease in the number of hospital admissions. We looked at the causes behind those two changes. I ask for your reflections on the figures and where we go from here.

I will come back to the minister quickly before I open up questions to members. In the previous evidence session, there were questions about stigma, which introduced discussion about the charter of rights for people who are affected by substance use. I was interested to read about the charter work, which was highlighted in one of the written submissions. I would like to hear a wee bit more about the work that is going on to develop the charter. What are the objectives for that work?

Good morning, and welcome to the first joint meeting in 2024 of the Criminal Justice Committee, the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee and the Social Justice and Social Security Committee, to consider the progress made in implementing the recommendations of the Scottish Drug Deaths Taskforce. We have apologies from Gillian Mackay MSP and Sue Webber MSP.

Our first item of business is to decide whether to take item 3, which is to review today’s evidence, in private. Are we agreed?

Members indicated agreement.

Thank you, everyone. I will bring in other members now.

Thank you—there is a lot in there. That brings me neatly to my next question, for Dr Fletcher, which is on a whole-system approach.

Your submission, on behalf of the Dundee ADP, sets out the work that is being undertaken to drive the whole-system approach, but you state that

“there is scope to further improve the”

approach

“and identify the highest priorities for upstream interventions to prevent drug deaths and wider drug harms.”

I am very interested in what you are looking at in that regard, and I would like to hear a wee bit more about that.

Before I bring in our next member, I will pick up on the points that you were making, Dr Fletcher, about feedback on toxicology, given the issues that we are facing at the moment around the timescales for post-mortems. You articulated that in some detail, but I am interested to know what timescale we are looking at. Is it weeks, or longer?

I welcome our second panel of witnesses: Christina McKelvie, who is the Minister for Drugs and Alcohol Policy—congratulations on your new role—Michael Crook, who is head of the harm reduction team, and Alison Crockett, who is unit head of the whole systems unit in the drugs policy division, both at the Scottish Government; and Dr Saket Priyadarshi, who is associate medical director of the Glasgow alcohol and drug recovery services. A warm welcome to you all.

I ask the minister to make some brief opening remarks.