§ Mrs. ClwydTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is his estimate of the number of people in Wales addicted to benzodiazepines.
§ Mr. GristThere are no official figures on the level of benzodiazepine dependence in Wales. However, an estimate given in a report published in 1986 suggested that perhaps half a million people in the United Kingdom as a whole were dependent on benzodiazepines.
§ Mrs. ClwydTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many prescriptions for benzodiazepines and what total quantity of benzodiazepines were dispensed by(a) community and (b) hospital pharmacists in each year from 1979 to 1987 in Wales.
§ Mr. GristThe number of prescriptions for benzodiazepines dispensed by community pharmacists in 1979 was approximately 1,999,100 and in 1987 was 1,894,300. Information for the years 1980 to 1986 could only be obtained at disproportionate cost and information on the total quantity of benzodiazepines and the number of prescriptions dispensed by hospital pharmacists is not available centrally.
97W
§ Mrs. ClwydTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales what funds are currently available to assist people in Wales to withdraw from benzodiazepines; and whether these funds will be increased in the future.
§ Mr. GristInformation on services specifically targeted on benzodiazepine dependency and provided by local statutory bodies or voluntary agencies is not available centrally.
In recent years, the Department has made available additional funds for the development of services—on a local and multi-authority basis—to combat drug misuse generally. Since April 1985, over £2.8 million has been provided in response to bids submitted by drug advisory committees and the voluntary sector. While such bids do not normally apply to specific substances, many of the proposals provide a service for people who need assistance over benzodiazepine dependence. We are currently considering bids for additional support in 1989–90.
§ Mr. ClwydTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many working days are being currently lost in Wales each year as a result of people withdrawing from benzodiazepines.
§ Mrs. ClwydTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the number of people currently withdrawing from benzodiazepines in National Health Service hospitals in Wales and in each year since 1979.
§ Mrs. ClwydTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many special units, with how many places, have been set up in psychiatric hospitals in Wales to assist people to withdraw from benzodiazepines.
§ Mr. GristNone as such, but there are two units in Wales (one in the north and one in the south) which specialise in services for those having problems associated with substance misuse or dependency. More generally, however, assistance and support is available through a range of services including GPs, primary care services, general psychiatric services and many voluntary groups and organisations.
Planned provision within the responsibility of the Secretary of State for Wales (£ million) 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88 1988–89 Agriculture, fisheries and food 78 93 81 77 82 85 Industry, energy, trade and employment 79 78 148 157 138 194 Other services Tourism 6 6 7 8 8 9 Roads and transport 299 287 286 300 319 322 Housing 143 118 126 140 166 166 Other environmental services 294 284 272 293 323 333 Education 682 665 694 730 846 922 Arts and libraries 28 30 31 38 38 Health and personal social services 915 968 1,035 1,115 1,220 1,330 Other public services 31 32 32 37 38 42 Total other services 2,370 2,388 2,482 2,655 2,958 3,162 Nationalised industries' EFL