Mr. Jim Callaghanasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what amount of money is spent by her Department on providing services in schools to combat drug taking amongst teenagers ; and if she will make a statement.
§ Miss Margaret Jackson:Local authorities receive central Government assistance 647W towards the cost of their services in the form of rate support grant, which is not earmarked for any particular service or part of a service. It is for individual authorities to decide, in the light of local needs and circumstances, what their expenditure patterns should be, including the amount to be devoted to health education in schools, of which education about drug use and abuse is one element.