Select Committee · Public Accounts Committee

Reducing the harm from illegal drugs

Status: Closed Opened: 12 Sep 2023 Closed: 3 Apr 2024 6 recommendations 19 conclusions 1 report

Illegal drug use causes significant harm to both individuals and to wider society, and costs an estimated £20 billion a year. In December 2021, the Government published ‘From Harm to Hope,’ its 10-year plan providing £900 million of new funding to reduce the harm caused by illegal drugs. The Committee’s inquiry follows its May 2023 …

Reports

1 report

Title	HC No.	Published	Items	Response
Eleventh Report - Reducing the harm from illegal drugs	HC 72	9 Feb 2024	25	Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

3 items

9 Recommendation Eleventh Report - Reducing the harm fro… Not Addressed

New drug strategy structures improve coordination and accountability, but JCDU remains under-resourced.

The introduction of the From harm to hope strategy has led to positive change. The appointment of a Combating Drugs minister and the nomination of the Home Office permanent secretary as senior responsible owner, alongside the creation of the Joint Combating Drugs Unit (JCDU), has improved coordination across six departments.21 …

Government response. The government response describes the 'From harm to hope' drug strategy, its allocated funding, and the roles of various departments and the JCDU in its implementation. It does not address the committee's point that the JCDU needed strengthening due to …

HM Treasury

15 Conclusion Eleventh Report - Reducing the harm fro…

Specialist drug treatments prove effective but require national funding due to high cost.

Successful recovery from addiction to illegal drugs, such as opiates, is difficult, with high levels of recidivism.45 In its recent report, the Home Affairs Committee highlighted the efficacy of specialist programmes—such as diamorphine assisted treatment—in helping those with a long history of addiction and poor treatment outcomes.46 We heard from …

HM Treasury

20 Recommendation Eleventh Report - Reducing the harm fro… Not Addressed

Establish specific drug use reduction targets for young people and other vulnerable cohorts.

In the year ending June 2022, 9.2% of 16–59-year-olds in England and Wales reported having taken drugs at least once within the past year, with 2.7% having taken Class A drugs. These proportions are higher for younger adults, with 19% of 16–24-year-olds reporting having taken drugs within the past year, …

Government response. The government's response outlines existing and ongoing work to monitor impacts, address diverse needs, and reduce drug demand through education and research, but does not commit to setting specific drug use reduction targets for young people or other cohorts as …

HM Treasury

Oral evidence sessions

2 sessions

Date	Witnesses
4 Dec 2023	Rachael Millar · Home Office, Sir Chris Wormald · Department of Health and Social Care, Sir Matthew Rycroft KCMG CBE · Home Office	View ↗
30 Nov 2023	Alice Wiseman · Association of Directors of Public Health, Mark Lay · National Police Chiefs’ Council, Mike Trace · The Forward Trust, Professor Dame Carol Black · Combating Drugs	View ↗

Correspondence

3 letters

Date	Direction	Title
6 Feb 2024	—	Correspondence from Sir Matthew Rycroft KCMG CBE, Permanent Secretary, Home Off…
15 Jan 2024	—	Correspondence from Sir Chris Wormald, Permanent Secretary of the Department of…
10 Jan 2024	—	Correspondence from Sir Matthew Rycroft KCMG CBE, Permanent Secretary, Home Off…