§ Mr. LawsTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what the real terms percentage change in the budget for each drug action team in England was in each year from 1996–97 to 2003/04; what the percentage change will be from 2003–04 to 2004–05: and if he will make a statement. [163883]
§ Miss Melanie JohnsonThe Department does not have information centrally on individual drug action team (DAT) budgets for the time period 1996–2004.
This is the first Government to make substantial funding available for drug treatment. The pooled drug treatment budget totalled £129 million in 2001–02. In 2002–03, the total budget was £195.7 million and this increased to £243.6 million in 2003–4. This additional funding means that all DATs received a minimum increase of 30 per cent. in 2002–03, with a further average increase of 24 per cent. in 2003–04.