§ Mr. StreeterTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if all drug treatment programmes supported by the updated drug strategy have the aim of ending the use of(a) illegal drugs and (b) prescription methadone and diamorphine where prescribed, by individuals undergoing treatment. [86537]
§ Mr. Bob AinsworthThe clear message from the updated drug strategy is that drug misuse is illegal and will remain so. All controlled drugs are dangerous and nobody should take them. The focus of the updated drug strategy remains to reduce and end the use of illegal drugs.
The primary goal of all treatment should be abstinence while recognising that some drug misusers may require longer term support to achieve this. Prescribing methadone or diamorphine as a substitute for illicit opiates has proven benefits for certain individuals and for society, particularly in terms of stabilising the individual, reducing injecting behaviour and criminal activity.
§ Mr. StreeterTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the additional number of places on(a) diamorphine and (b) methadone schemes that will be made available as a result of the Updated Drug Strategy. [86538]
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§ Mr. Bob AinsworthSince 1997 the number of treatment services in England has increased by a third. There are now 235 drug specialist community prescribing services and 300 general practitioner prescribing services in England. Under the Updated Drug Strategy, the National Treatment Agency will continue to work on increasing the number and capacity of all treatment services.
§ Mr. StreeterTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what targets he has set for the reduction of waiting times for admission to drug rehabilitation programmes as a result of the Updated Drug Strategy; [86542]
(2) what estimates he has for the likely reduction of waiting times for admission to drug rehabilitation programmes as a result of the Updated Drug Strategy. [86535]
§ Mr. Bob AinsworthThe National Treatment Agency (NTA) has already made significant progress on reducing waiting times locally. They have published national targets to reduce the time between someone being referred to treatment and receiving that treatment.
With additional funding from the 2002 Spending Review, we will invest in an expansion of quality provision to ensure that treatment is readily available to all those who need it. The NTAs targets are that by 2004, maximum waiting times from referral to receipt of treatment should be no more than two weeks for in-patient detoxification and GP prescribing and three weeks for all other forms of treatment.