Moved by
That the Bill do now pass.
(Con)
My Lords, I would like to say a few, very brief words. The
provisions set out in this Bill will play an important role in
helping to ensure that Approved Premises are
safe and drug free. The Bill will enable Her Majesty’s Prison and
Probation Service to create a comprehensive framework for drug
testing in Approved Premises and
help ensure that the staff can respond quickly and efficiently
and implement the important care and treatment needed to support
an individual’s rehabilitation.
I would like to extend my great thanks to my honourable friend
Rob Butler, who led this Bill through the other place, and my
noble friends Lord Wilson and Lady Scott, as well as all the
officials at the Ministry of Justice for their wonderful support
and the House staff for their hard work in this, my first Bill. I
beg to move.
(Lab)
My Lords, I too would like to welcome this Bill imminently
passing. I thank the noble Baroness, Lady Sater, for the work she
has done on this Bill and I also thank her honourable friend Rob
Butler. It may be of interest to noble Lords that both the noble
Baroness, Lady Sater, and Rob Butler were youth magistrates with
me in London, so I know them both well.
This is an important Bill. Approved
Premises should be drug free. Drug types are changing all
the time, and the Government and the Approved
Premises themselves need the flexibility to make sure that
the premises are as drug free as possible. I congratulate the
noble Baroness.
(Con)
My Lords, I start by congratulating my noble friend Lady Sater on
her excellent work bringing forward this Bill and navigating it
to this stage. I also thank my honourable friend , who introduced the Bill in
the other place.
The Bill will play an important role in helping us to tackle
illegal drug use, cut crime and save lives. In December last
year, we published our cross-government drugs strategy, which
represents an ambitious 10-year commitment to work across
government to address illegal drug use, including increased and
enhanced drug testing in prisons and Approved
Premises The measures set out in this Bill will help us
understand and react quickly to the changing patterns of drug
misuse that exist in Approved Premises and
ensure that staff in them can respond effectively and implement
the necessary treatment and care planning. This Bill will ensure
consistency of testing and treatment from prison to the community
and will be vital in ensuring that Approved
Premises are safe and drug free. Once again, I thank the
noble Baroness, Lady Sater, as well as Ministry of Justice
officials, for their hard work in getting the Bill to this stage.
I am pleased to reiterate the Government’s support and look
forward to seeing this important legislation on the statute
book.
Bill passed.
