Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government on reducing rates of drug dependency among homeless people; and if he will make a statement.

The Government is committed to ensuring that anyone with a drug and / or alcohol problem can access the help and support they need to overcome their problem and to help them rebuild their lives and sustain their recovery.

We know that many rough sleepers have substance misuse needs, and that rough sleepers can struggle to access the support they need to tackle substance dependency. In London in 2017-18, 43% of rough sleepers were recorded as having an alcohol-related need, and 40% as having a drug-related need.

We made a number of commitments in the Rough Sleeping Strategy to address this issue, including a rapid audit of health service provision to rough sleepers, including mental health and substance misuse treatment; and the provision of up to £2 million in health funding to test models of community-based health and support services for people who are rough sleepers.

Public Health England is taking action to improve access to drug and alcohol treatment services for homeless people with drug and alcohol problems so that they get the help that they need and will be issuing commissioning guidance to local authorities in 2019.

The Government has also committed in the 2017 Drug Strategy to take action on drug misuse among homeless people, including to work with treatment providers, the homelessness sector and housing support services to identify and share best practice to support local authorities in identifying routes into appropriate accommodation for those recovering from a drug dependency.

A Rough Sleeping and Homelessness Reduction Ministerial Taskforce involving all Government Departments with a responsibility for those sleeping rough was set up on 7 March 2018 to develop the Rough Sleeping Strategy and oversee its implementation. It’s membership involves Secretaries of State from five Government Departments, including the Department of Health and Social Care and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government as well as a number of other junior ministers where the portfolio is more suited to rough sleeping.