A Birmingham MP has defended a colleague who called for doctors to be allowed to prescribe heroin.

Richard Burden (Lab Northfield) called for “serious discussion” of Britain’s drug laws, although he did not back the proposed reforms.

He spoke out after Coventry MP Bob Ainsworth (Lab Coventry North East), a former Home Office Minister, called for an end to total prohibition of class A drugs.

Mr Ainsworth called instead for doctors to be allowed to prescribe drugs such as heroin to addicts.

His views were disowned by Labour leader Ed Miliband. A spokesman for the Labour leader said: “These are not the views of Ed Miliband, the Labour party or the wider British public.”

And the MP also came under fire from Conservatives, such as Staffordshire MP Andrew Griffiths (Con Burton and Uttoxeter), who said: “No wonder drugs policy was such a mess under Labour when a Home Office Minister wanted to legalise heroin.”

But Mr Burden called for a serious debate.

The Birmingham MP said: “He has made some thoughtful comments which are not quite the some as some of the more lurid headlines have suggested.

“His views deserve a more serious discussion than that.”

Setting out his argument in the House of Commons, Mr Ainsworth said the “war on drugs” had failed to end the illegal trade.

He said: “I am advocating the replacement of the dealer, who has a ready market with addicts putting money in his pocket and who is, in his totally and utterly irresponsible way, prepared to sell heroin to children and anybody else to extend his market, to the extent that we can do so-perfection does not exist-with a doctor.

“I want to get people into clinics and give them prescriptions and remove the dealer’s market, thereby removing at least some dealers.”