§ Mr. LilleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures he plans to take to reduce the average waiting time for drug treatment programmes. [113955]
§ Mr. DenhamWe have made available an additional £70.5 million over three years for health authorities and local authorities to expand treatment services for drug misusers. This is intended to support a step change in services, whereby waiting times will be cut and equity of access achieved. We have this week launched a campaign to recruit an additional 300 drugs counsellors for the health service, prison service, probation service, police, voluntary sector and local authorities.
§ Mr. LilleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people are on waiting lists for methadone maintenance or withdrawal programmes; and what is the average waiting time for treatment. [113957]
§ Mr. DenhamThe information requested is not available centrally. Information is available from the Regional Drug Misuse Databases on the number of users presenting to services for treatment and the drugs misused. Reliable information is not available centrally on waiting times for treatment. Revised clinical guidelines for the treatment of drug misusers were issued last year which recommend that methadone maintenance treatment should form an important part of drug misuse services. Substantial additional resources are being allocated to health authorities and local authorities to expand treatment services and thus cut waiting times and achieve equity of access to treatment services.