§ Mr. Nigel JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what start-up funding is being made available for the Gloucestershire Probation Service pilot for the new drug treatment and testing orders. [57883]
§ Mr. George HowarthThe Government have made available £750,000 from October 1998—March 1999 and are making available a further £1,000,000 in 1999–2000 to cover all costs in relation to the piloting of the drug treatment and testing order. The amount is proportionately larger in the current financial year in order to cover start-up costs. This money, taken as a total over the entire pilot period, is being divided equally between Gloucestershire and the other two pilot areas, Merseyside and south-east London. Gloucestershire Probation Service will therefore receive a total of £559,333 to fund the pilot.