Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 13
13
Accepted
Delays in public health and substance misuse grant allocations impede local authority planning and commissioning.
Conclusion
DHSC is responsible for allocating the annual Public Health Grant and Supplementary Substance Misuse Treatment and Recovery Grant to local authorities each year. The NAO’s report highlighted that there had been significant delays in confirming allocations of these grants for the first two years of the strategy’s implementation.38 DHSC told us that it had confirmed substance misuse funding for 2024–25, but had yet to announce allocations of the public heath grant.39 Delays in allocating funding create difficulties for local authorities, restricting their ability to work with local service providers and, unless they are prepared to take risks, in commissioning services without financial certainty. Ms Wiseman suggested there was a need for more flexibility, for example allowing local authorities a full 12 months to use funding allocations.40 In our recent report on alcohol treatment services, we also pointed out the impact of funding delays on local authorities’ ability to plan and commission services and on recruitment and retention.41
Government Response Summary
The government agrees to provide as much notice as feasible for future financial allocations, noting that 2024-25 drug strategy grants were published in November 2023 and Public Health Grant allocations in February 2024 to provide clarity for local authorities.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
3.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Recommendation implemented 3.2 The government’s vision is to create a world class treatment and recovery system in line with the recommendations of Dame Carol Black’s independent review and the 10-year Drug Strategy. The government is committed to supporting local areas to plan, commission and deliver high quality and effective drug treatment services over the long term. 3.3 The government acknowledges that having clarity over financial allocations is an important enabler for local planning and will give as much notice as is feasible of allocations for future years. DHSC, which is responsible for distributing drug-related funding, published the allocations for the supplementary Drug Strategy grants for 2024-25 in November 2023, to help local authorities and their delivery partners have clarity about available funding in good time. The Public Health Grant allocations for 2024-25 were published on 5th February 2024. DHSC will continue to work closely with local authorities to understand risks, help mitigate impacts and support their future plans and to utilise the evidence-based menu of interventions. This will guide investment decisions and enable early mobilisation of delivery.