§ Mr. McCuskerasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the bodies dealing with alcoholism and alcohol-related problems which receive assistance from public funds in Northern Ireland.
§ Mr. CarterThe Department of Health and Social Services for Northern Ireland pays an annual grant to the Northern Ireland Council on Alcohol. The Western Health and Social Services Board pays grants to the Northlands Centre in Londonderry and to the Bogside Community Association for their work in providing a service for socially deprived alcoholics, and to the North-West Council of Social Services towards the cost of running a nursing and night shelter used by vagrant alcoholics.
§ Mr. McCuskerasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what provisions exist in Northern Ireland for the treatment of alcoholics.
§ Mr. CarterShaftesbury Square Hospital, Belfast is the main treatment centre for alcoholics and Downshire Hospital, Downpatrick and Tyrone and Fermanagh Hospital, Omagh also have special units for this purpose. The other four psychiatric hospitals and the psychiatric day hospitals also provide treatment. Appropriate support is given by the social services departments of health and social services boards. In addition, the Northlands Centre in Londonderry provides treatment and after-care support on a voluntary basis in liaison with the statutory services.
§ Mr. McCuskerasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much was
432Wand Science that the figures for England and Wales are provisional.
spent by his Department in Northern Ireland in publicising the dangers of alcoholism and the danger of drinking and driving during the past five years.
§ Mr. CarterThe Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland has spent £54,153 in publicising the danger of drinking and driving. No other money has been spent directly by Northern Ireland Departments in publicising specifically the danger sof alcoholism, but grants totalling £201,129 were paid by the Department of Health and Social Services for Northern Ireland to the Health Education Council, an independent body set up to promote health education which includes alcoholism within its programme of expenditure.
§ Mr. McCuskerasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether he is considering the establishment in Northern Ireland of detoxification clinics, similar to those in Sheffield, for the treatment of alcoholics.
§ Mr. CarterThere are no plans at present to establish a detoxification clinic in Northern Ireland.
§ Mr. McCuskerasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people in Northern Ireland are suffering from alcoholism at the latest estimate.
§ Mr. CarterPreliminary information from a survey commissioned by the Department of Health and Social Services for Northern Ireland suggests that about 40,000 persons over the age of 18 years have a serious drinking problem, of whom about 11,000 are alcoholics, as defined by the World Health Organisation.