Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make it his policy to provide targeted support for people over the age of 55 who have problems with alcohol.

Local authorities are responsible for commissioning effective drug and alcohol prevention and treatment services based on an assessment of local need. Public Health England (PHE) supports local authorities in this work, by providing bespoke data, value for money tools, topical briefings, and advice on good practice to help local authorities meet the needs of their local population, including older people.

PHE is engaged in a series of work programmes that aim to reduce the incidence of alcohol-related problems and help provide support to older people, such as advocating the national roll out of an alcohol misuse screening question that has been part of the NHS Health Check since 2013. The NHS Health Check is offered to three million 40-74 year olds per year.

In addition, the United Kingdom Chief Medical Officers have produced new low risk drinking guidelines which provide the public with the latest information about the health risks of different levels and patterns of drinking. The guidelines enable people to make informed choices about their drinking. The guidelines are available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/alcohol-consumption-advice-on-low-risk-drinking

We are aware of the evidence showing an increase in the level of alcohol drinking by older people. A new alcohol strategy is currently being developed and we will be considering what actions need to be taken to support all vulnerable groups. Officials will be engaging with stakeholders in the development of the strategy to identify and support these groups.