I am extremely disappointed to learn of the Scottish Government’s decision to stop funding the Drug Court initiative in Fife and I have called on the Scottish Government to reconsider its decision.

The withdrawal of the Drug Court in Fife will leave a significant gap in the provision of dealing with the issue of drugs in the Kingdom and it will only add further pressures onto other agencies working with those with addiction problems.

This latest decision, along with the proposed closures and changes to court services across Fife by the Scottish Government will only add further strain to the local justice system and potentially lead to job losses.

Funding for the Drug Court had been provided on an annual basis, however during discussions to move to a 2 year funding model the Scottish Government informed Fife Council that the decision has been taken to end the Drug Court in Fife by the close of the financial year 2013/2014.

The Fife Drug Court has been running as a pilot project since 2002 in partnership with Fife Council, NHS Fife, Fife Police and the Scottish Court Service.

I will be writing to the Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill with a number of questions regarding the closure and will be seeking a meeting to discuss this issue.