§ Mr. GardinerTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress he has made on drug treatment and testing orders; and if he will make a statement. [122508]
§ Mr. StrawThe order was piloted in three areas: Croydon, Liverpool and Gloucestershire. The pilots ended on 31 March 2000. The final evaluation is being undertaken by the South Bank University and is expected to be available in early July. I intend to publish that evaluation.
64WThe Government have made available £20 million in 2000–01 and £40 million 2001–02 under the Comprehensive Spending Review to fund Drug Treatment and Testing Orders (DTTOs). Most of this money is being channelled through probation services, ring-fenced for the purpose, and each area has been advised of its allocation. Services have been instructed to prepare for roll out of the order subject to the final evaluation, and their preparations are well under way.
We have indicated to probation services that, subject to satisfactory evaluation, the roll out should commence in October 2000. Although the final evaluation is not yet to hand, it is clear that the overall impact of DTTOs in the pilot areas has been very positive: both offending and expenditure on illegal drugs by those subject to the order has reduced markedly. In order to allow both probation services and their partner treatment agencies the maximum time to prepare with certainty, we have decided that, as we are confident as to the outcome of the final evaluation, we should make an early decision on national roll out. The Government have, therefore, decided that the order will be rolled out to all areas in England and Wales with effect from 1 October 2000.