§ 25. Mr. Fortescueasked the Minister of Health what financial contribution the Government makes towards the costs of the various voluntary bodies engaged in the rehabilitation of drug addicts; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. K. RobinsonNone, Sir; but I am anxious to improve arrangements for rehabilitation, in which both statutory services and voluntary bodies have parts to play, and I look forward to receiving advice on this difficult subject from the Advisory Committee on Drug Dependence.
§ Mr. FortescueI thank the right hon. Gentleman for that reply. Would he not agree that, in view of the fact that the new facilities envisaged under the Dangerous Drugs Bill are, to say the least, unlikely to operate very quickly he should consider being a little generous with these authorities before that time comes?
§ Mr. RobinsonIt does not follow that all the bodies doing this work wish to receive public funds. I have received only one request, which I am considering. Of course, it does not follow, either, that they are all necessarily more suitable than hospital or local authorities to do this work.