Drugs: Misuse
(asked on 17th April 2025) - View Source
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 support people suffering from drug addiction in Romford constituency.
The Government is committed to ensuring that anyone with a drug or alcohol problem can access the help and support they need, and we recognise the need for evidenced-based, high-quality treatment.
Local authorities are responsible for assessing local need for alcohol and drug prevention and treatment in their area, and for commissioning services to meet these needs. In addition to the Public Health Grant, in 2025/26 the Department is providing a total of £310 million in additional targeted grants to improve drug and alcohol services and recovery support, which includes housing and employment. Havering Borough Council, of which Romford is a part, will receive £400,302 from this additional grant funding in 2025/26. Further details are available at the following link:
Alongside the funding allocations, the Department also has a range of existing and forthcoming best practice resources and guidance that supports those working in the sector to tailor drug and alcohol treatment services to meet local needs, to improve treatment outcomes. For example, the commissioning quality standard provides guidance to local authorities on how to ensure they have a shared understanding of local need, including the experiences of diverse populations. The commissioning quality standard can be found at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/commissioning-quality-standard-alcohol-and-drug-services
Later this year the Department will also be publishing the United Kingdom’s clinical guidelines on alcohol treatment. The aim of the guidelines is to improve and support good practice to achieve better outcomes for people with alcohol problems.