Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the effect of alcohol misuse on the NHS and other public services.

Local communities, services and businesses are best placed to tackle alcohol-related issues in their area and enforce the behaviour and develop the cultures that they want.

As part of the health and care reforms, local government has been given the responsibility, backed by ring-fenced budgets, to improve people’s health – this includes responsibility for tackling problem drinking.

We have given local authorities more than £8 billion in funding over three years so they can put the right services in place to help their communities to improve people’s health – this includes responsibility for tackling problem drinking. An example of where this has been done is by Balance, the North East Alcohol Office, who produced a report which details the impact of alcohol misuse on their region’s paramedics.