Speeches by Atkinson.

“On wider partnership issues, we mentioned earlier that the drug strategy outlined the need for local combating drugs partnerships to be in place. I am interested in your assessment of how effective those partnerships are at the moment.”

“I understand. Clearly, this is not a session about police reform overall, but I wanted to ask the question in the context of drugs and organised crime in this element, given some of the cross-border issues that we have identified. If I can move on to—”

“That is interesting, and we will have a think about that. One area of cross-departmental collaboration that is particularly pertinent on this at the moment is with justice; I am thinking particularly around the changes to prison release. We know that a significant number of prisoners on release are prescribed opiate su…”

“If I may say, Mr Court, Mr Sidwick’s diagnosis was that there has not been ministerial Government focus on this in the last two years. How much is there a Government direction from a policy point of view from the Home Office on the standardisation of diversion, enforcement and other elements?”

“You have no visibility of work that is going on between the Ministry of Justice and the Home Office or the Department of Health about how to deal with that?”

“On the current Government emphasis, back to our role of scrutinising the Home Office, when the drug strategy was launched, I felt there was a real push from the Minister at the time on delivery and accountability of local CDPs up through the Home Office. What is your sense of that now?”

“We are not having a wider conversation about police reform. We recognise people will have strong views on it. I want to ask specifically about the drug-related element of it.”

“Can I ask specifically about treatment and the partnership approach? As I understand it, basically, there is a police funding stream and then a separate public health grant to local authorities, which may or may not be aligned with the CDPs and is not at the level that Dame Carol Black initially was accepted by the Gov…”

“I will start on the policing side. We are in a situation where you have outlined that county lines and other elements of supply run across police forces and so on, and we know about regional organised crime units. How do neighbouring police forces work together at the moment where there are cross-border issues?”

“It is 5,500, which is a record level, and the strategy said it would come down.”

“I can see Mr Court wants to come in. I am particularly interested in the proposals in the police reform White Paper, which clearly look to regionalise forces. We do not know what will happen and we do not know the potential boundaries, but in the context of, say, five forces operating together within a region and shari…”

“I have heard that, but even where it is focused on treatment, how far does the funding model of police and public health grants being separate help or hinder the joint, good, effective partnership working? Also, I will throw in a little bit around the use of diversion schemes because I know some forces—Durham, West Mid…”

“I have a couple of questions, but on the demand piece first of all, Mr Court, I think you outlined the shift in demand in substance use over time. Is there any evidence that that shift in demand is influenced by the legal regime? I particularly ask about ketamine, given that the Home Office decision on the classificati…”

“On the classification regime and changes in demand, the idea that classifying something as class A is in itself a deterrent and that will affect demand for that drug.”

“Motion lapsed, and sitting adjourned without Question put (Standing Order No. 10(14)).”

“I agree with my hon. Friend, though I think the issue is not mainly financial; I will come on to that in a minute. As other Members have said, the key point is that treatments are dramatically more effective the earlier they are given: before symptoms appear and before irreversible damage is done. Once motor neurones a…”

“The hon. Gentleman is absolutely right and I will come on to talk about screening in just a minute.”

“I beg to move, That this House has considered e-petition 755980 relating to spinal muscular atrophy and the newborn screening test. It is a pleasure to serve with you in the Chair, Mr Mundell, and a privilege to open the debate as a member of the Petitions Committee. I want to begin with two little girls. In May last y…”

“My hon. Friend is absolutely right. This is a matter of pace and of asking, “When?” not “If?” or “How?” because both those questions have already been answered. I turn to the Government’s response. The previous Secretary of State for Health, my right hon. Friend the Member for Ilford North (Wes Streeting), met Jesy Nel…”

“I thank the hon. Member for making one of his excellent interventions. Clearly health is a devolved matter in Northern Ireland and Wales, where screening is also not available, but the hon. Member is absolutely right. It would be difficult to explain to parents anywhere in the UK why this screening is increasingly stan…”