Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to support residents who are suffering from alcoholic addiction in Newton Abbot.

Local authorities are responsible for commissioning alcohol and drug treatment and recovery services as part of their public health responsibilities. As a condition of the Public Health Grant, local authorities are responsible for improving the uptake of, and outcomes from, their alcohol and drug treatment services, based on an assessment of local need and a plan which has been developed with local health and criminal justice partners.

From 2026/27, all alcohol and drug treatment and recovery funding will be ringfenced and channelled through the Public Health Grant. All funding is provided at the Devon level, and it is for Devon County Council working with a wider partnership to determine how to meet needs in Newton Abbot. Through the ringfenced funding, Devon will receive £8,375,361 in 2026/27 and indicative totals of £8,724,672 and £9,142,038 for 2027/28 and 2028/29 respectively.

The Department works closely with local authorities, providing guidance tools, data, and expertise to help them assess and plan alcohol and drug prevention and treatment. To support delivery, the Department, with the support of partners from the devolved administrations, has developed and published the first ever United Kingdom clinical guidelines on alcohol treatment. The aim of the guidelines is to promote and support good practice and improve the quality of service provision, resulting in better outcomes for people experiencing harmful drinking and alcohol dependence.