Drugs: Local Authority Co-ordinators (Hansard, 2 December 1992)

§ Baroness Blatch
My Lords, what we are doing is bringing to an end, on schedule, our grant to local education authorities for preventive health education. It was made clear to LEAs when the grant was introduced in 1990–91 that it was pump-priming and limited to three years. There is, however, nothing to prevent them from continuing to employ local co-ordinators.

§ Baroness Masham of Ilton
My Lords, I thank the Minister for that reply. Is she aware that these co-ordinators were an important link between the Health and Education Departments? Does she agree that government departments do not always work together as well as they should? It is sad that this decision was taken last week, in European Drug Prevention Week.

§ Baroness Blatch
My Lords, the decision was not just taken then, it was determined right at the beginning of the scheme. It was a three-year grant and everyone knew that it would finish at the end of this financial year. What we have said is that it is important work. The point that my noble friend makes —and I believe it is important—is the way in which everyone works together. Local authorities work with district health authorities, making sure that the important work is not neglected.

§ Lord Judd
My Lords, can the noble Baroness clarify whether or not the Government regard drug prevention as a high priority? If they do, how can they begin to justify this ill-judged cut in a dedicated and effective auxiliary educational service when teachers themselves are so hard-pressed by the new curricula and other matters? They simply have no time, let alone the energy, to devote to essentials of this kind.

§ Baroness Blatch
My Lords, we take this work very seriously. It is important to understand the role of education. We have worked through the National Curriculum Council to provide detailed guidance for teachers for that very work in schools. That is where the educational process should start; that is where we should promote and encourage and educate for better lifestyles among our young children. We are talking about one health co-ordinator for each local authority. That was pump-priming, it is the essence of our grant-giving in this sphere. If local authorities believe that it is important and a good way to work, they can pick up that work in the normal budgeting process.

§ Lord Judd
My Lords, has the noble Baroness looked at how effective these people were before that decision was taken?

§ Baroness Blatch
Yes, my Lords, we have seen how effective they were. The grant has been in existence since it was introduced in 1986 for drugs. It then moved on to alcohol and the scope was widened. The work is well established, it was pump-priming. In those authorities where it has worked and the method is supported, that method will be picked up by the local authorities.

§ Lady Kinloss
My Lords, can the Minister say how many co-ordinators there are at present and how many are likely to lose their jobs when the grant comes to an end?

§ Baroness Blatch
My Lords, I understand that as it relates to this scheme it is about one per local authority. How many there are will be a matter for local authorities who may well employ more than one. My understanding is that they are so important to local authorities that they will continue to use them in that way. It is only one aspect of the work that is supported, local authorities use these co-ordinators for much wider health education purposes.

§ Lord Ennals
My Lords, will the Minister accept that, when this excellent grant was first introduced, such a great increase in drug abuse was not expected. In view of the Government's concern and the 1339 Minister's assurance this afternoon, should not the matter be reconsidered? Does she really believe that most local authorities will continue this post out of their own money? Has she not heard of the many local authorities who will not do so and will she reconsider the decision?

§ Baroness Blatch
My Lords, if I believed that this was the only source of money that was applied to the education for lifestyle for young people, I would agree with the noble Lord. However, this is a small part of it. There appears to be a misunderstanding in the House of how the GEST programme works. They are grants for educational support and training and from year to year the priorities change. If there are new ones, then local authorities pick up the money and feed it into the normal budgeting process. Then we will move on to pump-priming in another area which may also be important to the work of local authorities.

§ Lord Mancroft
My Lords, will my noble friend accept from me that what is not needed is more health education co-ordinators because the form of drug prevention as discussed in the House today is of no consequence? It does not prevent any child from doing anything. What is needed is a system of education which teaches children to take responsibility for their lives and their health.

§ Baroness Blatch
My Lords, my noble friend makes an important point. I think I have already said that it is a matter for education and that the National Curriculum Council is issuing detailed guidelines for teachers to help schools plan a comprehensive programme of health education for all pupils, promoting always within a spiritual and moral context that they should learn to live healthier lifestyles.

§ Lord Glenamara
My Lords, does the noble Baroness remember introducing a Bill into the House last year on the inspection of schools? Under that legislation the inspection of schools, which is now extremely costly, was to be borne by local authorities themselves out of money which they previously spent on their advisory services. How on earth does she expect them to appoint drug co-ordinators or any other kind of advisory service?

§ Baroness Blatch
My Lords, the premise on which the noble Lord makes those comments is wrong. The money for school inspection was, I think from memory, about £72 million. Only half that money has been removed from local authorities and it will be fed back to them as the inspection takes place. The inspection will not be at a cost to local authorities, the money is in the system. Indeed, more money has been added to it.
When the inspections take place the inspectors will monitor what is most important—that is, the output of the work. It is no good saying that health education should take place in schools unless there is an inspection system to make sure that it is happening to a standard that has an impact on the lives of young people.

§ Baroness Masham of Ilton
My Lords, is the Minister aware that the drug pushers are cunning and are targeting the schools and even giving the children free drugs so that they become hooked? Does she agree that it is a serious problem?

§ Baroness Blatch
Yes, my Lords, I absolutely agree with that. To that end, I believe that we all have a part to play: parents, schools, teachers and, where possible, the policies of local authorities. But one health co-ordinator does not tackle the whole of the problem.

§ Lord Russell of Liverpool
My Lords, will the Minister confirm that officials from her department are at present speaking to their counterparts in the Department of Health? They are trying to ensure that there are local collaborative arrangements and agreements between local education authorities and regional health authorities to make sure that where that is working it continues in one form or another and, where it is not working, that they do something about it.

§ Baroness Blatch
My Lords, I can give an absolute assurance on that point. We are discussing with our health colleagues continued central government encouragement of effective action in the general field of preventive health education about drugs, alcohol and smoking, as well as HIV and AIDS in particular, in the light of the publication of the White Paper The Health of the Nation.