Alcohol Education (Hansard, 16 March 2004)

§ Mr. Todd
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps he is taking to ensure that children are given information in school on the risks of alcohol. [161655]

§ Mr. Stephen Twigg
There is a statutory requirement for drug education, including alcohol education in the National Curriculum Science Order. This represents the statutory minimum. In addition, schools are expected to use the non-statutory frameworks for Personal Social Health Education (PSHE) and Citizenship at key stages 1 and 2, PSHE at key stages 3 and 4 and the Citizenship programme of study at key stages 3 and 4 as the context for developing drug and alcohol education. We believe drug education in schools has an essential role to play in enabling pupils to develop their knowledge, skills, attitudes and understanding about drugs.
Since 1997, we have made over £70 million available to local education authorities to support drug alcohol and tobacco education and prevention in schools. For the last three years, we have supported the development of training packages to support professionals deliver effective drug and alcohol education. From April, we will be supporting up to 3,000 teachers in the PSHE certificate which sets standards in the teaching of drug and alcohol education.
Together with the Home Office and Department of Health, we are supporting a national five-year research programme called "Blueprint" to test the effectiveness of drug education initiatives in schools. It will make a significant contribution to developing a UK evidence base for drug, alcohol and tobacco education.

§ Mr. Carmichael
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much has been spent on programmes explaining the dangers of alcohol misuse in(a) primary and (b) secondary schools in each year since 1997. [161068]

§ Mr. Stephen Twigg
The funding that the Department has allocated to local education authorities to support drug education and prevention in all schools in England since 1997 is provided in the following table. This would include education about the effects of alcohol; a statutory requirement at key stages 1–4. We have not directed the proportion of this funding that should be spent on alcohol education or on schools in different sectors.

£ million

1997–98 5.8

1998–99 6.9

1999–2000 7.4

2000–01 ₁7.4

2001–02 13.1

2002–03 15.2

2003–04 14.3

Total 70.1

₁ Allocated as part of Social Inclusion Grant.

	£ million
1997–98	5.8
1998–99	6.9
1999–2000	7.4
2000–01	₁7.4
2001–02	13.1
2002–03	15.2
2003–04	14.3
Total	70.1
₁ Allocated as part of Social Inclusion Grant.