§ Mr. MichaelTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) when he decided to create or support the creation of the post of regional alcohol co-ordinator for each regional health authority in England;
(2) how much money has been (a) allocated and (b) spent by his Department to fund the appointment of regional alcohol co-ordinators in each regional health authority in 1990–91, 1991–92 and 1992–93, respectively;
(3) to date, how many regional alcohol co-ordinator posts have been (a) approved and (b) appointed for regional health authority areas in England; and if he will list the regional health authorities where a regional alcohol co-ordinator has been appointed and the date of first appointment in each case.
§ Mr. DorrellThe Government's intention to fund a regional alcohol misuse co-ordinator post in each regional health authority in England was announced in the interdepartmental circular HN(89)4, a copy of which is available in the Library, on "Alcohol Misuse" issued in February 1989. Co-ordinators were appointed in all 14 regions between October 1989 and February 1990. The amount of money allocated to each regional health authority in 1990–91 was £16,000. Two regions, Northern and North West Thames, received half their 1990–91 allocation because during that year alcohol misuse was only a part of their co-ordinators' responsibilities. All the money allocated was spent. From 1991–92 onwards funding for regional alcohol misuse co-ordinator posts has been built into health authorities' baselines and is not therefore identified separately. It does, however, attract annual uplifting for inflation.