§ Mr. McAvoyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the cost in the latest year for which figures are available of education programmes designed to reduce the demand for drugs.
§ Mr. MellorA major part of the overall cost of education aimed at preventing the misuse of drugs is that of the staff and other resources used to provide drugs education within schools. Information on such costs is not available centrally.
However, the Department of Education and Science supported expenditure of £4.2 million in 1988–89 to allow for the continued employment of drugs education co-ordinators in each local education authority area in England and for in-service teacher training. In the same period, similar central expenditure to support drugs education in Scotland and Wales amounted to some £260,000 and £280,000 respectively.