Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of funding for alcohol (a) harm and (b) addiction services.

As part of the NHS Long Term Plan, we have invested £27 million for an ambitious programme to establish specialist Alcohol Care Teams in the 25% hospitals with the highest rates of alcohol dependence-related admissions, alcohol-mortality, and deprivation. This is estimated to prevent 50,000 admissions over five years.

Local authorities are responsible for commissioning services to prevent, mitigate and treat alcohol-related health harm, based on local need. As part of the Government’s 10-year drug strategy, we have made a record £532 million of additional investment through to 2024/25 to improve drug and alcohol treatment and recovery services. This funding is in addition to the Public Health Grant and will improve the capacity and quality of drug and alcohol treatment. This funding is being targeted to areas of highest need first.