Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will expand access to drug detoxification services for people with substance abuse problems.

Local authorities are responsible for commissioning drug and alcohol treatment services according to local need as part of their public health responsibilities, and this includes the provision of drug detoxification services.

In line with recommendations in Dame Carol Black’s independent review of drug treatment and recovery, the Department created a distinct grant to support and expand inpatient detoxification for people who use drugs and alcohol. The £10 million a year grant ran between 2022/23 and 2024/25, before being consolidated into the Drug and Alcohol Treatment and Recovery Improvement Grant in 2025/26.

The additional funding has enabled four units to open and has seen a substantial increase in the number of people who have been able to benefit from medically supported detoxification in an inpatient setting.