HL Deb 17 January 2001 vol 620 cc135-6WA
Baroness Gould of Potternewton

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What plans they have for improving the delivery of substance misuse treatment services. [HL312]

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath:

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.