§ Mr. PikeTo ask the Prime Minister if he will co-ordinate ministerial consideration of a centrally funded approach for needle exchange schemes to work towards the elimination of illegal needle and syringe disposal.
§ The Prime MinisterThere are about 300 needle exchange schemes. In 1988, general guidance on such schemes was issued to health authorities including advice on the disposal of used equipment.
The Department of Health issued further guidance when it made £1.4 million central funding available to health authorities in 1992–93 to expand the number of such schemes based in pharmacies. Under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, managers of such schemes must take all resonable steps to ensure that the waste is handled and disposed of safely and legally.