HL Deb 03 July 2003 vol 650 cc1023-6

3.1 p.m.

Baroness Massey of Darwen

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many children they estimate to be living with parents who misuse drugs, and what account they will take of the recent report Hidden Harm from the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs.

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Lord Warner)

My Lords, the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs estimates that some 90,000 to 130,000 children are living with a problem drug user. The council's report recognises some of the good work being undertaken to tackle drug problems and to protect vulnerable children, but also that more needs to be done. The Government have already increased by 23 per cent this year the pooled budgets available to drug action teams, which has improved access to treatment services for pregnant women and parents. The Department of Health is working with other departments on what further action is required.

Baroness Massey of Darwen

My Lords, I thank the Minister for that response. Is he aware that under these dreadful circumstances it is often the grandparents who end up taking care of the children? What kind of support, financial or otherwise, can grandparents expect to receive, and how are they made aware of their rights?

Lord Warner

My Lords, my noble friend is quite right to say that grandparents are a major source of support for young children in these circumstances. Around 50 per cent of the children whose parents were included in the advisory council's report were living elsewhere with family members or friends. Grandparents comprised the main family members looking after those children. The report highlights examples of local schemes that help the children of drug users and provide support for families, including grandparents. I am sure that, in her capacity as chair of the National Treatment Agency, my noble friend will encourage an extension of such schemes.

The Government will be taking forward improved support for all friend and family carers of children in these circumstances through its "Choice Protects" review, which was announced last year.

Baroness Walmsley

My Lords, what is being done about the barriers to parents with drug problems seeking treatment? For example, parents fear that their children may be taken away from them and there is a lack of residential mother and baby units for drug treatment and rehabilitation.

Lord Warner

My Lords, clearly, some parents in these circumstances will be worried about the removal of their children, but social services do have a responsibility to protect children. We are aware that support is required and, as I said in my earlier Answer, the Government are putting a lot more money into the pooled budgets of drug action teams which will improve access to treatment services for parents with drug problems.

Lord Rea

My Lords, my noble friend said that the Government are expanding the facilities for dealing with parents with drug problems. Can he tell us how many residential rehabilitation centres are in operation around the country which have facilities for mothers and children? Does he not agree that this is an area to which the Government should give priority?

Lord Warner

My Lords, I cannot give the exact numbers, but the Government are putting more money into treatment services at all levels; that is, from the primary level up to tier 4 services. However, I shall be happy to write to my noble friend with details of the exact number of centres.

Baroness Masham of Ilton

My Lords, if the parents are injecting drug users, is enough help being provided as regards hepatitis B and C? What counselling services are available if those parents test positive, and even if they are not positive, how are they counselled before they are tested?

Lord Warner

My Lords, I am sure that the noble Baroness will appreciate that she has strayed a little wide of the terms of this particular Question. I shall have to write to her with a detailed response on that issue.

Baroness David

My Lords, can the Minister tell me how the educational needs of children whose parents are drug addicts are met? So far as I can recall, very often those children do not get to school.

Lord Warner

My Lords, the Department for Education and Skills issued a government consultation draft entitled "Drugs: Guidance for Schools", which emphasised the importance of having a designated member of staff responsible for co-ordinating the school's response to drugs. It is also a key requirement of the national healthy schools standard to have a designated drug education co-ordinator. Moreover, training is available to support teachers in this particular role.

Ultimately, there is also the potential for social services to intervene. When a carer needs support and services for a child, in particular when problems are being encountered that centre on going to school, the carer can approach social services and sometimes voluntary organisations can help in this area.

Baroness Howe of Idlicote

My Lords, can the Minister indicate how uniform are local authorities in meeting the needs of children within the families being discussed?

Lord Warner

My Lords, I do not think that I can paint a national picture on this area by area, but we know that a growing number of local support services are being put in place for relatives as carers of children in the circumstances of this Question. A number of local authorities come to mind which have particularly strong support arrangements: Plymouth has had a support service since 1999; there are dedicated workers in Hampshire and Wandsworth, which are also using family group conferences to help families make the best decisions for those children who cannot remain with their birth parents.

Lord Elton

My Lords, does the noble Lord agree that this is largely a problem to be tackled locally? When the noble Lord writes to his noble friend with the details of those schemes which have central government support, can he make them more intelligible by revealing the location of those schemes? I do not mean that he should list them individually, but can he set out what criteria are used to ensure that these resources are put within reach of the people who need them?

Lord Warner

My Lords, the Government provide general guidance, but it is for local authorities to provide the responses because they have statutory responsibility in these areas. Of course their work is inspected under the various inspectorates. However, I shall take heed of the points made by the noble Lord in my response.

The Earl of Listowel

My Lords, is the Minister aware of the invaluable support provided to many children's homes, foster carer groups and schools catering for such children's complex needs by way of appropriately trained mental health professionals? Can he tell us what progress is being made towards making available that kind of highly skilled consultation to parents and carers working with these children?

Lord Warner

My Lords, believe it or not, we do not collect in Richmond House all the details of these consultations but, from my previous involvement in other work, I can say to the noble Earl that much is being done to expand the development of child and adolescent mental health services. As I recollect, the Government are putting into that area a 10 per cent increase over three years. I am sure that that will produce many of the kinds of services to which the noble Earl has referred.