§ Mr. Keith BradleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what the total NHS budget allocated to substance misuse treatment programmes for(a) drugs and (b) alcohol is in 2003–04. [162615]
§ Miss Melanie Johnson[holding answer 22 March 2004]The pooled drug treatment budget totalled £243.6 million in 2003–04, which allowed for an average increase of 24 per cent., to primary care trusts in their allocation from this budget. It is also estimated that £200 million of mainstream national health service expenditure will be spent on drug treatment in 2003–04.
All funding for alcohol treatment services is drawn from the mainstream budgets of the NHS 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.