§ Mr. ClappisonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to examine the effectiveness of treatment services for drug misuers; and if she will make a statement.
§ Dr. MawhinneyI am concerned to ensure that services for drug misusers work to clear objectives and that we are668W able to assess how effective these services are in terms of delivering reductions in drug misuse, and the harm associated with it. I have decided therefore to establish a task force to undertake a wide-ranging review of the effectiveness of treatment services for drug misusers. Membership of the task force, which will be chaired by the Reverend Dr. John Polkinghorne, president of Queen's college, Cambridge, comprises experts from the drugs field and people from different backgrounds who will bring a fresh perspective to issues in this important area. They are:
Mr. Denis O'Connor (Deputy Chief Constable of Kent). Dr. Michael Farrell (Consultant Psychiatrist in drug dependence at Maudsley Hospital).Dame Margaret Fry (non-executive member of South and West Regional Health Authority).Dr. Silvain Edouard Josse (General Practitioner).Mr. James Kay (Director of Healthwise, Liverpool and member of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs).Ms Rosemary Ramsay (Lawyer, and Vice Chairman of Brixton Drugs Project).Miss Esther Rantzen (Member of the Health Education Authority).Mr. Tony Shaw (Chief Executive of Southampton and South West Hampshire Health Commission).Mr. Tony Sheehan (Nurse).Mr. David Taylor (Audit Commission)Mr. Rodney Walker (Chairman of the NHS Trust Federation).The Rt. Reverend William John Westwood (Bishop of Peterborough).The chief medical officer's consultant adviser on drug misuse, Dr. John Strang, will be medical adviser to the task force.The terms of reference of the review are:
To conduct a comprehensive survey of clinical, operational and cost effectiveness of existing services for drug misusers; to review current policy in relation to the principal objective of assisting drug misusers to achieve and maintain a drug-free state, and the secondary objective of reducing harm caused to themselves and others by those who continue to use drugs; to make recommendations where appropriate and to report to Ministers.The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs will also be represented on the task force, and the central drugs co-ordination unit will take a close interest in their work.The work of the task force will complement the role of the central drugs co-ordination unit, which has been established to ensure that, through the development of a comprehensive and co-ordinated strategy, we get best possible value for the significant resources invested by the Government in the fight against drugs. To ensure that close links are maintained, the director of the central co-ordination unit will have observer status on the task force.