Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make it his policy to protect the £780 million of funding for rebuilding the drug treatment system announced as part of the Government’s 10-Year Drug Strategy.

The £780 million comprises £532 million for the Department of Health and Social Care to improve treatment services to reduce harm and increase recovery rates, with the remaining funding shared between the Ministry of Justice, the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities and the Department for Work and Pensions.

In 2022/23, local authorities have been allocated £96 million via the drug strategy for drug and alcohol treatment services, in addition to existing funding from the Public Health Grant and indicative funding published for three years. The additional investment in treatment services supports the strategy’s commitment to prevent 750,000 crimes, including 140,000 neighbourhood crimes and prevent nearly 1,000 drug related deaths.