Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to reduce drug misuse in communities.

Drugs can devastate lives, ruin families and damage communities. This Government’s approach to them remains clear - we must prevent drug misuse in our communities and support people through treatment and recovery.

In January, the Government announced a £148m new investment to cut crime and protect people from the scourge of illegal drugs. This includes;

•£80 million for drug treatment services right across England to give more support to offenders with drink and drug addictions, which can fuel crime - this represents the largest increase in drug treatment funding for 15 years. This money increases the number of treatment places for prison leavers and offenders diverted into tough and effective community sentences.

•£28m for Project ADDER (Addiction, Diversion, Disruption, Enforcement and Recovery) which is trail-blazing a whole-system response to combatting drug misuse in some of the areas hardest hit in England and Wales. In July 2021, we announced an expansion of this programme taking the total amount invested to £59m in this pathfinder programme which is set to run until March 2023. The programme focuses on co-ordinated law enforcement activity, alongside expanded diversionary programmes (such as Out of Court Disposal Orders) and enhanced treatment and recovery provisions.

•£40m dedicated investment for 2021/22 to tackle drugs supply and county lines and surge our activity against these ruthless gangs. This investment has allowed us to expand and build upon our successful County Lines Programme, established in November 2019.

The £40 million of new money to tackle county lines and drugs supply brings the total invested to £65 million since November 2019. The funding has already seen more than 1,100 lines closed, over 6,300 arrests, over £2.9 million in cash and significant quantities of drugs seized, and more than 1,900 vulnerable people safeguarded.

On 27 July, the UK government published its initial response to Dame Carol Black’s independent review of drugs setting out a clear cross-government commitment to this agenda, including plans to publish a long-term drug strategy by the end of the year.

The strategy will build on the £148m package and will present our whole of government approach to drive down drug supply and demand, including support for people through treatment and recovery, and an even tougher response to criminal supply chains and the demand that fuels these illegal markets.