HC Deb 16 December 2002 vol 396 cc665-7W
Dr. Kumar

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many drug rehabilitation centres treat addicts of(a) cocaine and (b) heroin. [86397]

Ms Blears

There are 715 drug treatment services in England that treat addicts of cocaine and heroin.

Dr. Kumar

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost of drug rehabilitation was in each of the last five years; and how much was spent per person treated in(a) England, (b) the North East of England and (c) the constituency of Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland. [86398]

Ms Blears

This information is not available centrally. There are 138 drug treatment residential rehabilitation services in England, providing over 3000 bedspaces within the drug and alcohol residential rehabilitation sector. The cost per week, per patient, varies from around 300 to around 1000 for a placement within a medical/clinical facility.

There is no information at present on community rehabilitation programmes, although work on unit costs is being developed by the National Treatment Agency.

John Mann

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of those receiving drug treatment are private patients. [86696]

Ms Blears

This information is not available centrally.

In England, during the year 2000–2001 the overall number of drug users reported as being in treatment was around 118,500.

John Mann

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people are undergoing drug treatment, broken down by drug action team area. [86691]

Ms Blears

Information on the numbers of drug misusers in contact with drug treatment agencies in England, broken down by drug action team area of treatment, is given in table 11 of the Statistical Bulletin, Statistics from the Regional Drug Misuse Databases on drug misusers in treatment in England, 2000–01—http://www.doh.gov.uk/public/sb0133.htm. This document is available in the Library.

John Mann

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what menu of treatments he requires to be available in each drug action team area. [86693]

Ms Blears

The overall menu of treatment services that residents of a drug action team (DAT) area should have access to, located either within the DAT area or located outside, is as followsOpen access services:

  • Advice and information services
  • Harm reduction services
Structured community based services:
  • Community prescribing—specialist service
  • Community prescribing—general practitioners
  • Structured counseling
  • Structured day programmes
  • Aftercare
Residential services:
  • In-patient detoxification
  • Residential rehabilitation

John Mann

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many former drug addicts there are, broken down by(a) treatment method and (b) type of drug use. [86694]

Ms Blears

This information is not available centrally.

Recent research evidence demonstrates that around half (47 per cent.) of drug users who have gone through residential programmes, and more than a third (35 per cent.) of those from methadone programmes are still abstinent from opiates at four to five years. More than a third (38 per cent.) of all the residential clients were also abstinent from all six illicit target drugs (illicit heroin, non-prescribed methadone, non-prescribed benzodiazepines, crack cocaine, powder cocaine, amphetamines) at four to five years.

John Mann

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of ex-drug addicts who have undergone treatment are drug free.[86699]

Ms Blears

Recent research evidence demonstrates that around half (47 per cent.) of drug users who have gone through residential programmes, and more than a third (35 per cent.) of those from methadone programmes are still abstinent from opiates at four to five years. More than a third (38 per cent.) of all the residential clients were also abstinent from all six illicit target drugs (illicit heroin, non-prescribed methadone, non-prescribed benzodiazepines, crack cocaine, powder cocaine, amphetamines) at four to five years.

John Mann

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many former drug addicts have remained drug free for(a) over one year and (b) over five years following treatment. [86700]

Ms Blears

Recent research evidence noted that:

The percentage of residential clients who were abstinent from illicit opiates (heroin and illicit methadone) was around 50 per cent. at one year. Abstinence rates from stimulants (all forms of cocaine and amphetamines) was around 68 per cent. at one year. Abstinence from crack cocaine was around 82 per cent. The percentage of clients treated in community methadone treatments who were abstinent from illicit opiates at one year was around 22 per cent. Abstinence rates from stimulants (all forms of cocaine and amphetamines) was around 64 per cent. at one year. Abstinence from crack cocaine was around 79 per cent.

These reductions in illicit drug use were generally maintained throughout the four to five year follow-up period. Almost half (47 per cent.) of the residential, and more than a third (35 per cent.) of those from the methadone programmes were still abstinent from opiates at four to five years. More than a third (38 per cent.) of all the residential clients were abstinent from all six illicit target drugs (illicit heroin, non-prescribed methadone, non-prescribed benzodiazepines, crack cocaine, powder cocaine, amphetamines) at four to five years.