Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of alcohol on health inequalities; and what steps they are taking to reduce alcohol’s role as a significant driver of health inequalities.

Individuals from lower socioeconomic groups are more likely experience greater levels of alcohol-related harm compared to higher socioeconomic groups, including alcohol-related hospital admissions and deaths. Through the 10-year drug strategy, the Government has invested £532 million into rebuilding local authority commissioned substance misuse treatment services in England. All local areas will receive additional funds through a phased approach according to need, with 50 of the most deprived areas receiving a greater share of the funding in 2022/23. As part of the NHS Long Term Plan, we have invested £27 million to establish specialist Alcohol Care Teams in the 25% of hospitals with the highest rates of alcohol-mortality and deprivation.

Since 2020/21, the Government has also provided £50.4 million to provide substance misuse treatment services for people sleeping rough through the Rough Sleeping Drug and Alcohol Treatment Grant. The Government will provide additional investment of up to £186.5 million during the current Spending Review period, including £15 million announced through the cross-Government drugs strategy.