§ Mr. Nigel JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what initiatives his Department is currently supporting to reduce the level of alcohol consumption by those aged under 16 years. [57888]
§ Mr. Charles ClarkeEducation about alcohol is already a statutory requirement of the National Curriculum. The Department for Education and Employment has made increased support of £7 million available to Local Education Authorities this year, through the Standards Fund, to assist schools and the youth service to deliver effective education about drugs, including alcohol. The Department is also working closely with other Government Departments in taking forward the Government's 10 year Anti-Drugs Strategy, published earlier this year. Whilst the focus is on illegal drugs, alcohol is also addressed within the overall Strategy. To support and underpin the Strategy, we will also shortly be issuing targeted guidance to schools and the youth service on the effective delivery of education relating to substance misuse. In addition, the Department is represented on the Ministerial Group on Alcopops, which is taking forward the Government's work to combat underage drinking.
In partnership with the Department of Health, the Department launched earlier this year the National Healthy Schools Scheme. This Initiative is part of the wider Healthy Schools Initiative. We are making £2 million of support available this year to fund eight health and education pilot projects, one in each of the NHS regions. Criteria for healthy schools belonging to the scheme will be drawn up and an integral part of this will be for the school to deliver a comprehensive drug education programme. That programme will have to include education about alcohol.