Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she has set targets for the (a) reduction of (i) drug and (ii) alcohol use and (b) number of people receiving treatment for related addictions.

Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government published a 10-year drug strategy in December 2021 which sets out three core priorities: cutting off drug supply, creating a world class treatment and recovery system, and achieving a generational shift in demand for drugs. The strategy aims to reduce crime, drug related deaths, harm, and overall drug use and is backed by significant new investment. The Government has invested an additional £780 million in drug and alcohol treatment and recovery services, of which £532 million is dedicated to rebuilding local authority commissioned substance misuse treatment services in England. The drug strategy includes a specific target of getting 54,500 more people in drug and alcohol treatment between 2022/23 and 2024/25. Success is being measured against a system of local and national outcomes frameworks. More information on the strategy is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/from-harm-to-hope-a-10-year-drugs-plan-to-cut-crime-and-save-lives/from-harm-to-hope-a-10-year-drugs-plan-to-cut-crime-and-save-lives

Delivery of the drugs strategy is a cross-government priority; the Joint Combatting Drugs Unit (JCDU) is a cross-Government team, based in the Home Office, that was set up to coordinate the drug strategy delivery across all relevant Government departments. The Department of Health and Social Care works closely with the JCDU to work to achieve the aims of the drug strategy.

No specific targets have been set for the reduction of alcohol use in England; however, the United Kingdom Chief Medical Officers’ low-risk drinking guidelines recommends that adults consume no more than 14 units of alcohol per week. According to the 2021 Health Survey for England, around 80% of adults in England drink within these guidelines. Through the NHS Long Term Plan, the Government is investing £27 million to establish alcohol care teams in the 25% of acute hospitals in England with the greatest need. These specialist teams identify alcohol dependent patients admitted to hospital for any reason, start them on specialist treatment as inpatients, and facilitate them into community-based substance misuse treatment upon discharge.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to improve coordination on reducing drug and alcohol harms.

Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government published a 10-year drug strategy in December 2021 which sets out three core priorities: cutting off drug supply, creating a world class treatment and recovery system, and achieving a generational shift in demand for drugs. The strategy aims to reduce crime, drug related deaths, harm, and overall drug use and is backed by significant new investment. The Government has invested an additional £780 million in drug and alcohol treatment and recovery services, of which £532 million is dedicated to rebuilding local authority commissioned substance misuse treatment services in England. The drug strategy includes a specific target of getting 54,500 more people in drug and alcohol treatment between 2022/23 and 2024/25. Success is being measured against a system of local and national outcomes frameworks. More information on the strategy is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/from-harm-to-hope-a-10-year-drugs-plan-to-cut-crime-and-save-lives/from-harm-to-hope-a-10-year-drugs-plan-to-cut-crime-and-save-lives

Delivery of the drugs strategy is a cross-government priority; the Joint Combatting Drugs Unit (JCDU) is a cross-Government team, based in the Home Office, that was set up to coordinate the drug strategy delivery across all relevant Government departments. The Department of Health and Social Care works closely with the JCDU to work to achieve the aims of the drug strategy.

No specific targets have been set for the reduction of alcohol use in England; however, the United Kingdom Chief Medical Officers’ low-risk drinking guidelines recommends that adults consume no more than 14 units of alcohol per week. According to the 2021 Health Survey for England, around 80% of adults in England drink within these guidelines. Through the NHS Long Term Plan, the Government is investing £27 million to establish alcohol care teams in the 25% of acute hospitals in England with the greatest need. These specialist teams identify alcohol dependent patients admitted to hospital for any reason, start them on specialist treatment as inpatients, and facilitate them into community-based substance misuse treatment upon discharge.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to support people with (a) drug and (b) alcohol addictions.

Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government published a 10-year drug strategy in December 2021 which sets out three core priorities: cutting off drug supply, creating a world class treatment and recovery system, and achieving a generational shift in demand for drugs. The strategy aims to reduce crime, drug related deaths, harm, and overall drug use and is backed by significant new investment. The Government has invested an additional £780 million in drug and alcohol treatment and recovery services, of which £532 million is dedicated to rebuilding local authority commissioned substance misuse treatment services in England. The drug strategy includes a specific target of getting 54,500 more people in drug and alcohol treatment between 2022/23 and 2024/25. Success is being measured against a system of local and national outcomes frameworks. More information on the strategy is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/from-harm-to-hope-a-10-year-drugs-plan-to-cut-crime-and-save-lives/from-harm-to-hope-a-10-year-drugs-plan-to-cut-crime-and-save-lives

Delivery of the drugs strategy is a cross-government priority; the Joint Combatting Drugs Unit (JCDU) is a cross-Government team, based in the Home Office, that was set up to coordinate the drug strategy delivery across all relevant Government departments. The Department of Health and Social Care works closely with the JCDU to work to achieve the aims of the drug strategy.

No specific targets have been set for the reduction of alcohol use in England; however, the United Kingdom Chief Medical Officers’ low-risk drinking guidelines recommends that adults consume no more than 14 units of alcohol per week. According to the 2021 Health Survey for England, around 80% of adults in England drink within these guidelines. Through the NHS Long Term Plan, the Government is investing £27 million to establish alcohol care teams in the 25% of acute hospitals in England with the greatest need. These specialist teams identify alcohol dependent patients admitted to hospital for any reason, start them on specialist treatment as inpatients, and facilitate them into community-based substance misuse treatment upon discharge.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of personal, social, health and economic education in reducing the risk of drug and alcohol use; and what steps she is taking to improve that effectiveness.

Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department for Education is currently evaluating the delivery of the compulsory relationships, sex and health education curriculum. This includes drug and alcohol education, as well as a focus on mental wellbeing and other factors which can contribute to reducing the risk of drug and alcohol use. The findings and recommendations will inform progress towards our drug strategy commitment that all children and young people are provided with effective high-quality education to prevent future drug and alcohol use.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department has reviewed the policies of other countries as part of policy development for (a) drug and (b) alcohol strategies.

Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

International research, data and the experience of other countries’ drug treatment systems were reviewed in the development of Public Health England’s (PHE’s) Drug misuse treatment in England: evidence review of outcomes, published in 2017, which helped inform the Government’s 2021 drug strategy. The review is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/drug-misuse-treatment-in-england-evidence-review-of-outcomes

While there are no current plans for a new specific alcohol strategy, the Department maintains an interest in the effectiveness of policies implemented by other countries to reduce alcohol harms. The 2016 PHE publication, The public health burden of alcohol: evidence review, reviewed effective policies for reducing alcohol harms in OECD countries. The review is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-public-health-burden-of-alcohol-evidence-review

Officials in the Department frequently engage with international colleagues and those in the devolved administrations to exchange ideas, experience and evidence when developing new policies.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to paragraph 6.2 of the Government response to the Fifty-fourth report of Session 2022-23 from the Committee of Public Accounts on Alcohol treatment services, HC 1001, published on 21 July 2023, when she plans to publish (a) phase 1 of the national drug and alcohol treatment and recovery capability framework and (b) a workforce calculator.

Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The substance misuse workforce strategic plan will outline the actions needed in the next year, next three years, next five years and next 10 years to build back quality in the drug and alcohol workforce and develop a sustainable pipeline into the sector. It will be underpinned by a capability framework, which will provide new guidance on the knowledge and skills required for core roles amongst the drug and alcohol treatment and recovery workforce. It is being designed to be used alongside a newly developed workforce calculator.

There has been extensive engagement with the sector on the development of these products. The first part of the capability framework will be published by December 2023 and will be followed by the strategic plan. The workforce calculator is due to be published in spring 2024.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to paragraph 4.5 of the Government response to the Fifty-fourth report of Session 2022-23 from the Committee of Public Accounts on Alcohol treatment services, HC 1001, published on 21 July 2023, what her planned timetable is for publishing the joint action plan with NHS England to address co-occurring mental health and drug/alcohol-related conditions.

Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department is developing a Joint Action Plan with NHS England to address co-occurring mental health and drug/alcohol-related conditions. This programme of work aims to improve access to mental health services for people with drug and alcohol misuse conditions, as well as improve the links between mental health and substance misuse services.

The Department is continuing to work with NHS England on this programme, and we aim to publish the Joint Action Plan in 2024.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the contribution of (a) the South Community Recovery Network in Glasgow and (b) other recovery communities to reducing crime locally.

Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)

No assessment has been made. Recovery from addictions in Scotland is a matter for the Scottish Government where powers are devolved for healthcare.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the new Integrated care systems will be expected to produce drug and alcohol and substance misuse strategies.

Answered by Maggie Throup

Integrated care partnerships are required by the Health and Care Act 2022 to develop integrated care strategies. We anticipate that the forthcoming statutory guidance for these strategies will highlight the involvement of drug and alcohol treatment providers as strategies are developed.

On 15 June 2022, guidance was issued on how local delivery partners, including the National Health Service and local authorities, should form multi-agency Combating Drugs Partnerships to reduce drug-related harm. These partnerships will develop a shared local plan, alongside other local delivery programmes such as integrated care strategies, to address the priorities identified by the cross-Government drugs strategy.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what funding the Government provides to support local authorities and other agencies in drug and alcohol prevention.

Answered by Gillian Keegan - Secretary of State for Education

On 6 December 2021 the Government published ‘From harm to hope – a 10 year drugs plan to cut crime and save lives”’ The strategy focusses on prevention among children and young people and that treatment also has a preventative effect. The most effective and sustainable approach to reducing demand for drugs is building resilience in young people and the strategy sets out measures to prevent the onset of drug use among children and young people, including through universal education and targeted work with young people and families.

We have committed £780 million over the next three years to deliver a treatment and recovery system. Of this, £533 million will enable local authorities to commission and invest in substance misuse treatment services in England. This is in addition to the current annual Public Health Grant, with which we expect local authorities to continue to invest in drug and alcohol treatment and prevention services. This will enable better integration of mental health services and substance misuse treatment. We are working with the National Health Service to introduce effective pathways and better integration between substance misuse and mental health treatment, including improving the skills of the substance misuse workforce.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people were admitted to emergency departments where substance misuse of (a) drugs and (b) alcohol was a contributing factor for their reason for attendance in the last year.

Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

The information requested is not held in the format requested.

The number of people attending accident and emergency departments is not collected, as individual patients may have multiple attendances. However, the following table shows data on the total number of emergency department attendances for which drugs and alcohol were recorded as a primary or a secondary diagnosis in 2020/21.

Source: NHS Digital

Note:

In 2020-21, 74.8% of attendances in the Emergency Care Data Set had a valid code recorded in the diagnosis field. Therefore, it is possible that the figures provided may be an under-representation of actual activity.