The Scottish Affairs Committee said the minster for policing and crime had told the committee the UK Government does not support the use of SDCFs and would not make legislative changes to facilitate them, seemingly irrespective of whether the pilot facility was found to be effective.

Patricia Ferguson, chair of the Scottish Affairs Committee, said while no ‘silver bullet' The Thistle, which is the first official facility of its kind in the UK, could be one way of combating drug deaths in Scotland which are the highest in Europe.

He said: ‘If the facility, after its three-year pilot, is shown to be effective at tackling drug-related harm, we're urging the UK Government to follow the evidence and take the legislative action needed to create a proper legal framework that will ensure it can run and be regulated properly.'

Drugs policy minister Maree Todd said: ‘Since opening, the Thistle has been recognised by the Global Commission on Drug Policy and has responded to a number of on-site overdose incidents - I have no doubt that lives have been saved. Evidence from similar facilities around the world has found that safer drug consumption rooms can reduce harms, levels of public drug consumption and publicly discarded drug-related litter.

‘The UK overall is a clear outlier in Europe for drugs deaths and in Scotland we are already working hard together with organisations to tackle the challenge head on, for example through creating more residential rehabilitation beds and widening access to naloxone. However, the challenges we face will require clear four-nation approaches, particularly given many areas of drugs policy remain reserved to the UK Government.'

A Government spokesperson said: ‘Every death from the misuse of drugs is a tragedy.

‘This Government is committed to reducing drug-related deaths and supporting more people into recovery to live healthier, longer lives. We remain on high alert to emerging drug threats.

‘On top of the public health grant, we have provided an additional £310m to improve drug and alcohol treatment services and recovery support in England. We continue to work with partners across health, policing and wider public services to drive down drug use, ensure more people receive timely treatment and support, and make our streets and communities safer.'