Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that people with substance use issues can access specialist inpatient detox treatment.

Local authorities are responsible for commissioning drug and alcohol treatment services according to local need as part of their public health responsibilities, and this includes the provision of inpatient detoxification services.

In line with recommendations in Dame Carol Black’s independent review of drug treatment and recovery, the Department created a distinct grant to support and expand inpatient detoxification for people who use drugs and alcohol. The £10 million a year grant ran between 2022/23 and 2024/25, before being consolidated into the Drug and Alcohol Treatment and Recovery Improvement Grant in 2025/26. Investment in inpatient detoxification services will continue beyond 2026. The Government has committed over £13.45 billion across three years through the Public Health Grant, including £3.4 billion ringfenced for drug and alcohol prevention, treatment, and recovery, which includes funding for inpatient detoxification. This multi-year funding provides greater certainty for local areas as they plan and sustain services.