Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to tackle opioid abuse in the homeless community.

The Government is investing £16 billion over the Spending Review period for local authorities (LAs) to spend on public health. LAs are responsible for making decisions on how to spend their local allocation but the public health grant conditions make it clear that they must have regard for the need to improve the take up of, and outcomes from, their drug and alcohol misuse treatment services. Public Health England guidance, developed with drug service providers, promotes the need for local authorities, commissioners and healthcare providers to work together to create systems and pathways that enable people who use drugs, including those who experience homelessness, to access services.