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 providing Drug and Alcohol Mental Health Services.

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.