§ Mr. Hirstasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what has been the response to the invitation issued by his Department last year to statutory and voluntary bodies asking them to apply for grants to assist in establishing local projects for the rehabilitation of drug misusers; and if he will identify the projects he now intends to support.
§ Mr. YoungerLast August we invited health boards, regional councils and voluntry organisations to submit applications in respect of local initiatives for improving services provided for drug misusers which could be helped by a pump-priming grant from the Government, following a recommendation to this effect in the report on treatment and rehabilitation by the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs. There has been an encouraging response to this invitation and offers totalling £535,300 in the first year have now been made to the sponsoring bodies in respect of the following 13 projects: 33W
Sponsor Project Cost in First year £ Support help and advice on drug addiction (SHADA) Counselling service in Muirhouse/Pilton area of Edinburgh 40,000 Lothian regional council social work department Social work support for drug misusers in Muirhouse/Pilton area of Edinburgh 20,000 The Leith Group Day centre for drug misusers in Leith 28,000 Greater Glasgow health board and Strathclyde regional council social work department Counselling and support services in Possilpark, Glasgow 91,000 Greater Glasgow health board Drug stopping programme, Southern General Hospital, Glasgow 119,600 Strathclyde regional council social work department Assessment and counselling service, Castelmilk, Glasgow 41,900 Tayside health board and Tayside regional council Centre for drug misusers based on Ninewells hospital, Dundee 26,500 Wester Hailes representative council Telephone enquiry and counselling service, Wester Hailes, Edinburgh 42,000 Strathclyde regional council social work department Group work with adolescents and children at risk of using drugs, Motherwell, Hamilton and Airdale 33,200 Strathclyde regional council social work department Social work support of drug misusers in Ayrshire, with training of teachers, health visitors and voluntary workers 30,800 Church of Scotland Counselling for drug misusers, Simpson house, Edinburgh 25,000 Stirling university Training of workers with drug misusers 15,000 Strathclyde regional council social work department Community support project for former drug misusers, Easterhouse, Glasgow 22,300 Total 535,300 We have given priority to projects in areas where there is evidence of serious drug misuse, but we have tried to ensure that there is variety in the schemes to be supported, recognising that some will probably be more successful than others in dealing with this difficult group of individuals.
It follows that we must be prepared to withdraw support from any projects that are clearly not fulfilling our expectations, and each one will be kept under regular review by my Department. Grants will be payable for a three year period, after which we would expect successful projects to be funded locally. Our aim has therefore been, where ever possible, to secure the support of healt boards and social work departments and to build on existing facilities and skills.
We believe that this substantial level of financial support from the Government will make a significant contribution in the provision of local facilities to deal with the consequences of drug misuse which is a cause of such anxiety to many communities and individuals in Scotland.