HC Deb 17 January 2001 vol 361 cc248-9W
Ms Blears

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has for improving the delivery of substance misuse treatment orders. [145940]

Ms Stuart

The cross-departmental review of illegal drugs that reported as part of last summer's spending review 2000 concluded that a new national treatment agency should oversee a pooled treatment budget for substance misusers, with the aim of increasing the numbers treated and raising the standard of that treatment.

The Department of Health has published a consultation document containing proposals, drawn up in collaboration with other interested Departments, for setting up such an agency. Copies have been placed in the Library.