HC Deb 21 January 2003 vol 398 cc275-6W
Linda Gilroy

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what funding his Department has provided to support research into(a) drug treatment programmes and (b) alcohol harm reduction programmes in each of the last five years. [90633]

Ms Blears

Details of the amount spent by the Department on research into drug treatment over the last five years are shown in the table.

Year Amount (£)
1998 176,502
1999 201,333
2000 527,803
2001 866,982
2002 1379,065
1Estimate

Details of the amount spent on research on average, into alcohol harm reduction in each of the last five years are shown in the table.

Year Amount (£)
1998–99 Nil
1999–2000 40,000
2000–01 68,000
2001–02 71,410
2002–03 73,770

Linda Gilroy

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what funding his Department has provided to support(a) alcohol abuse treatment programmes and (b) drug treatment programmes in each of the last five years. [90634]

Ms Blears

All funding for alcohol treatment services and all funding for drug treatment services until 2001–02 was drawn from the mainstream budgets of the national health service and local authorities. The amounts spent on treatment services from these budgets was substantial, although the method of funding means that it is not possible to give figures on expenditure.

In 2001–02, in addition to the funding from NHS and local authority mainstream budgets, the Government put into place a pooled drug treatment budget which meant resources were specifically made available for drug treatment. In 2001–02, the pooled drug treatment budget was 143.85 million and in 2002–03, the budget was 195.7 million.

John Mann

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions he has had with the Department of Work and Pensions to ensure that ex-heroin misusers can re-enter their employment following treatment. [88965]

Ms Blears

The national treatment agency, which was set up by Government in April 2001 to increase the quality and availability of drug treatment services, has recently published the models of care (MOC) guidance, which is in effect a national service framework for drug treatment services. The MOC proposes a whole-systems approach, which includes a role for education, training, employment and housing as key elements of care.

As the target audience includes employers discussions took place between officials from the Department of Health and the Department for Work and Pensions to ensure that the guidance contained in the MOC is in line with guidance issued by the other government departments.

Funding has also been specifically allocated for the re-integration of substance misusers into employment. The Department for Work and Pensions allocated £40 million in 2001, spread over three years, to help drug users find employment in 31 pathfinder areas in England and Wales. In practice most drug treatment programmes should include help and advice on re-entering employment, where appropriate.