Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to provide public health interventions for people at risk of overdosing on (a) naloxone and (b) other synthetic opioids.

The Department is actively monitoring, and responding to, the continued threat posed by the growing levels of potent synthetic opioids such as nitazenes and illicit fentanyl in the United Kingdom. A core part of this response is expanding access to naloxone, which is a lifesaving medicine that reverses the effects of an opioid overdose. The Government recently consulted on proposed amendments to the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 so that more professionals and services can give out take-home supplies of naloxone to those at-risk of an overdose, as well as their friends and family. This consultation closed on 6 March 2024, and we will publish the next steps in due course.

For those using opiates, treatment is the safest place to be. The Government is investing an additional £780 million over three years, through to 2024/25, to create a world-class treatment and recovery system, the largest ever single increase in treatment and recovery funding in England. £532 million is being invested specifically to improve drug and alcohol treatment and recovery services. This funding is in addition to the Public Health Grant, and will grow the capacity and quality of the drug treatment system.