§ Mr. Simon HughesTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the NHS expenditure on services to drug users in each of the last five years for which figures are available. [30246]
§ Mr. MilburnHealth authorities purchase drug services from general Hospital and Community Health Service allocations. Funding for drug services is also provided under a special allocation, which is a contribution, not a cash limit. Health authorities can draw808W on general allocations for further money if they so decide, and will also fund treatment from other budgets. Health authorities are not required to return records of their total expenditure on drug services and a total figure for annual National Health Service expenditure on drug services is not held centrally.
In each of the east five years, the special allocation for drug services was as follows:
Year £ million 1997–98 37.19 1996–97 33.39 1995–96 26.75 1994–95 25.50 1993–94 24.37 As part of its contribution to the Cross-Departmental Review of Illegal Drugs, the Department is working with the Substance Misuse Advisory Service to commission a survey of health and local authority expenditure on drug services in the financial year 1996–97. The results of the survey will inform the development of the new Anti-Drugs Strategy.