§ Mr. Wareingasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) which local centres will be assisted in his efforts to combat drug abuse; and if he will make a statement;
(2) what extra funds he is making available to combat drug abuse; how they are to be dispensed; and if he will make a statement.
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§ Mr. John PattenHealth authorities have been asked to report by 22 December on their plans for urgent action within their available resources to improve services for drug misusers.
Twelve million pounds is being made available to combat drug misuse. Eighty-one firm allocations totalling over £5 million under the £7 million centrally funded initiative have been announced in my right hon. Friend's reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Crawley (Mr. Soames) on 9 February 1984 [c. 756–60], in my right hon. and learned Friend's reply to the hon. Member for Wolverhampton, North-East (Mrs. Short) on 30 April 1984 [c. 53–56] and in my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Castle Point (Sir B. Braine) on 10 July 1984 [c. 464–65]. The balance has been provisionally allocated to proposed projects under discussion with the applicants.
An extra £5 million will be committed to expanding effort in prevention, treatment and rehabilitation. Precise allocation has not been reached but applications already received under the initiative will be taken into account.
§ Mr. Wareingasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what consultations he has carried out, and with whom, prior to issuing guidelines to general practitioners on the combating of drug abuse; when he expects them to be published; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. John PattenIn response to recommendations in the treatment and rehabilitation report of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drags, endorsed by a conference of representatives of a wide range of medical organisations, my right hon. Friend set up an expert medical working group to prepare guidelines of good clinical practice in the treatment of drug dependence for dissemination to the medical profession and to consider the feasibility of the extension of licensing restrictions on the treatment of drug dependence to include all opioid drugs. Its membership was drawn from nominees of medical bodies and individuals with expertise. We expect to publish the guidelines on good clinical practice shortly. They will be sent to all general practitioners, hospital doctors and to the prison medical service, as well as to health authorities and interested professional and voluntary agencies in November.