§ Mr. Laurence RobertsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what grants he has made to the Drug Education Forum; who are its members; what arrangements he has made to monitor its use of funds; and if he will make a statement. [87892]
§ Mr. Charles Clarke[holding answer 22 June 1999]We have agreed to a grant of up to £50,000 for the Drug Education Forum for each of the three years from 1998–99 to 2000–01. This supports a full-time co-ordinator post, and also covers administrative and information support, including the production of a drug education newsletter for teachers in schools. Grants of £13,000 and £26,000 were provided in 1996–97 and 1997–98 respectively.
The Forum's membership is made up of representatives of each of the six main teacher unions; the Association of Chief Police Officers; the Drug Education Practitioners 395W Forum; the Evangelical Coalition on Drugs; the Health Education Authority; Hope UK; Life Education Centres; the Local Government Drugs Forum; the National Association of Youth and Community Education Officers; the National Children's Bureau; the National Health Education Group; the National Standing Committee of Advisors, Inspectors and Consultants of Personal and Social Education; Release; the Roehampton Institute London; the Standing Conference on Drug Abuse, and the Advisory Council on Alcohol and Drug Education.
A condition of grant to the Forum is that the books and records relating to the claiming and use of the grant are open to inspection by the National Audit Office and representatives of the Secretary of State as and when they may require. The Forum's work is also monitored by officials from my Department, along with those of Department of Health, Home Office and the UK Anti-Drugs Co-ordination Unit, who attend the Forum's regular meetings as observers.