Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to convene an advisory panel to develop substance misuse guidance, focused specifically on older adults; and what lessons they have learned from the Welsh Government regarding the benefits of such a panel.

The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs has a statutory duty to monitor drug misuse in the United Kingdom and provide advice to Government on measures to address this. The Government has no plans to convene a separate advisory panel to develop substance misuse guidance focused specifically on older adults. In 2017, Public Health England updated clinical guidelines for clinicians treating people with drug use problems, which contains a section addressing the importance of preventing and treating drug use problems in older people. The guidelines were developed by an expert group and are kept under regular review. A copy of Drug misuse and dependence: UK guidelines on clinical management is attached.

The Government has not held discussions with the Welsh Government specifically on the benefits of its advisory panel on substance misuse.