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So it is the diagnosis of—

What is the main risk?

Because you mentioned my name, I will say that that may be because we are creating a safer society and it was not safe to come out back in the 1980s.

It has gone up.

Maybe at the end—I will see how I get on.

Drug reform must be about taking a realistic and commonsense approach. We in Scotland are trying to forge a different path from the one being forged by the Government south of the border.

Like other countries with commonsense drug policies, Scotland has taken a public health approach to tackling the issue. Under the guidance of Angela Constance and within the limitations of devolution, this SNP Scottish Government has taken its responsibility on reform seriously by setting out a national mission to improve lives and save lives, committing an additional £250 million over the next five years to increase access to services for people affected by drug addiction and exploring the need for safe consumption rooms for people who use drugs.

It is not just a pity that we do not have the same level of commitment to Scotland from the Government in Westminster; it is an absolute disgrace. It has long been observed by clinicians that social determinants of health tip the scales against people who are addicted to substances in the already daunting quest to recover from any type of addiction. To be clear, the World Health Organization defines the social determinants of health as

“the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work and age ... These circumstances are shaped by the distribution of money, power and resources at global, national and local levels”.

We already know that the cost of living crisis will do untold harm to just about all of us who have less than those in the UK Government, but, make no mistake, it will also have a wide and long-lasting impact when it comes to health outcomes and substance misuse issues.

To tackle the issue, Scotland needs full and comprehensive powers over drug reform in our Parliament. Perhaps a quicker fix is Scotland gaining its independence—I hear a few groans. Mitigating the worst of bad UK Government policy should be a thing of the past, and its current policy on drugs is inadequate. Stigma and criminalisation suppress the potential for future rehabilitation, harming an individual’s employment prospects and often leading to the continuation of generational cycles of poverty and adverse childhood experiences.

Penalties related to drug consumption should not be more damaging to an individual than the consumption of the drug itself. The picture of drug harm in Scotland is different from that south of the border. That is why it is so important that we in Scotland have full powers over our destiny, to ensure that our Government, laws, customs and values are reflective of the people who choose to live here. The UK Government continuing to cling to powers that should be in the remit of the Scottish Parliament is not just ineffective but actually damaging.

I am speaking fast so that I have time to take youse in.

However, Scotland is a progressive nation brimming with innovation and confidence in our role in the world. On matters devolved, we are at the forefront of tackling some of the biggest issues in the 21st century. As we look to the future, fantastic work is already under way to make positive change. Perhaps someday soon, with the full powers over our own destiny, Scotland can join other progressive nations that have been able to radically decrease the rate of harm caused by unsafe consumption of illicit substances. Change is needed.

I have 30 seconds to take an intervention.

I first recognise everyone who has suffered unduly, mentally or physically, and those who have tragically died because of substance misuse or unsafe drug consumption. Every death that is attributed to unsafe drug consumption is an absolute tragedy for the families who lose their loved ones.

The current level of harm that is being experienced by people who consume drugs calls for radical change in how we tackle the issue. I say that as someone who has experienced friends and loved ones appearing in the drug deaths figures. For decades, successive UK Governments have made a concerted effort to continue their so-called war on drugs, with grave human cost and at huge expense to the legal system, the everyday taxpayer and our society.

I will see how I get on. I will maybe take one at the end.

In dealing with substantive policy, we must of course take a cautious yet research-based approach. We also owe it to all the people living in Scotland to explore all options at our disposal to reduce harm in our society. That is why we must not shy away from creating a national conversation on how to do exactly that.

Change is needed as a matter of urgency. The UK Government needs to give serious consideration to radical reform of drug laws. After its decades-long failed war on drugs, to roll that out without due consideration would be a serious disservice, driven only by ideology rather than proper research and evidence. There are plenty of international examples that evidence that decriminalisation, or legalisation and regulation, can be successful in reducing drug deaths and harm.

There is more than one incentive to explore that potential. For example, organised crime groups would no longer thrive off the proceeds from the illicit drug industry, which are often used to fund other criminal operations such as human trafficking.

I do not know why the member is asking me to reflect on my tone; I think that that was uncalled for. In terms of reflecting on the issues that are bespoke to Scotland, that is exactly why we need powers here. A UK-wide approach is obviously not working for Scotland.

Good morning. You have given full and comprehensive answers to a lot of the questions; however, I will pick up on a point that follows on from some of the answers that you have given.

Do you consult with experts and other third sector organisations when you develop and shape your policies? You spoke about performance measures and said that testosterone levels are perhaps not the way to go. Some cisgender women take testosterone for medical reasons, so those kinds of measures are not pertinent to what you are looking at. What medical experts and third sector organisations do the bodies that you represent consult with?