The Scottish Conservatives have taken the next steps to bringing a Right to Recovery Bill, written and developed by frontline experts, into law.
On Thursday morning, Douglas Ross published the consultation for a Right to Recovery Bill, which would guarantee everyone who needs treatment for addiction can get it.
The consultation is the only possible next step in the Bill process for an opposition party. There is no other route to turning a Bill proposal into law without government support.
At First Minister’s Questions, Scottish Conservative Leader Douglas Ross asked Nicola Sturgeon to throw the weight of the government behind the Bill.
He raised the example of Vicky, who lost two brothers to drugs. He brought up frontline experts Recovery Enterprises in Kilmarnock, who say the Bill is essential because the government’s new drug standards will not work in practice.
The Member’s Bill, which was written by frontline experts including FAVOR Scotland, is already backed by at least seven recovery groups.
Douglas Ross also asked the First Minister to go on a joint visit to Bluevale Community Club in Haghill, which is the second most deprived part of Scotland, according to the government’s SIMD index of deprivation.
Nicola Sturgeon appeared to tentatively accept this proposal and said her office would be in touch to arrange a visit alongside Douglas Ross.
FAVOR Scotland CEO Annemarie Ward said: "Nicola Sturgeon keeps playing political football and kicking this Bill into the long grass when the proposals are there to be considered.
"It is distressing and disrespectful to those suffering and grieving.
"The SNP are getting caught up in the parliamentary process instead of backing a Bill that has been written by Favor Scotland, frontline experts and the very people who have lost loved ones to drug deaths.
"The government could act, if they thought this was urgent. It clearly is not.
“If the First Minister wanted to bring this Bill in, she could start the process tomorrow.
“This Bill deserves cross party support. This is a human rights issue which goes beyond politics.
“This Bill makes rights effective for some of the most vulnerable in our society.
“The right to recovery and to treatment has to mean just that. It should be set down in law and be legally enforceable.
“This Bill is about moving from words to solutions that are based on lived experience.”
Scottish Conservative Leader Douglas Ross said: “Our Right to Recovery Bill proposal has been developed by frontline experts to guarantee everyone gets the treatment they need.
“The consultation process is the only way an opposition party can progress a Bill – but the government could throw their full weight behind it right now and rapidly speed up the process.
“It is extremely disappointing that the First Minister won’t come on board with the Bill proposal at this stage, although we will keep trying to convince her of the need for a right to recovery.
“The Scottish Parliament passed Covid laws in three days because the government acted. We can introduce a Right to Recovery law swiftly if we adopt a similar sense of urgency.
“Drug deaths are our national shame. We lose far too many people each year.
“The system is broken, it is leaving people on the streets to die. It must be overhauled by enshrining rights in law immediately.
“I look forward to going on a visit with the First Minister, so we can both hear directly from grieving families and frontline experts about why the Bill is so incredibly important.”
Notes
The Bill consultation has gone live here: https://www.parliament.scot/bills-and-laws/bills/proposals-for-bills/Proposed-Right-to-Addiction-Recovery-Scotland-Bill
The original Bill proposal is here: https://www.scottishconservatives.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Right-to-Recovery.pdf
The original proposal included a duty to publish a care plan and aftercare measures including housing/accommodation. The Scottish Conservatives still support those proposals and would seek to include them in an amendment at the earliest opportunity. They have not been included in the consultation at the request of the Scottish Parliament Non-Governmental Bills Unit (NGBU), who advised that the scope of the Bill was too wide for a Member’s Bill.