Nicola Sturgeon said she cannot defend the Scottish Government’s record on drug deaths following another record high of deaths.

The figures showed 1264 people had died in Scotland form a drug related death in 2019, up 6% from the 1187 the year before.

There were 279 deaths in Glasgow, similar to the record 280 the year before.

When challenged at First Minister’s questions on the latest statistics, Ms Sturgeon said: “I’m not going to stand here and defend the indefensible.”

The Conservative leader, Ruth Davidson questioned the Scottish Government record on funding for rehab beds, which she said had been cut to just 22 beds, despite there being facilities available to use.

Ms Davidson said: “To get rehab people need to be really luck to get a charity place or be wealthy enough to afford it.”

On the funding for rehab beds, Ms Sturgeon said: “I agree there’s a question why it is not more.”

The First Minister said it was unacceptable and she would be attending the next meeting of the Drug Deaths Task Force, in January, set up last year after the 2018 record figures were.

She said: “I’m sorry to every family that that has suffered grief.

“The figures tell us we need to do more and need to do it more quickly.”

She said she would return to the Scottish Parliament in January and make a statement on what action the Government would take.

Ms Sturgeon added she was not satisfied the funding for rehab beds was sufficient and said that rehab, while not a panacea, is undoubtedly part of the solution.