Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 24
24
Accepted
Investment in research for drivers of substance misuse behaviours remains inadequate
Conclusion
Dame Carol and Ms Wiseman told us that there was little investment in research into the behaviours and factors that lead to substance misuse.80 The JCDU pointed to the £5 million investment in the ‘innovation fund’ which is looking at building evidence around the key area of reducing demand.81 However, departments have committed just £350,000 to research drivers of recreational drug use, which is equivalent to less than 0.03% of the strategy funding over 2022–23 to 2024–25.82
Government Response Summary
The government agreed with the committee's observation on research investment, stating it will continue to invest in primary and secondary research on drug use drivers, and is delivering a new cross-government innovation fund to build the evidence base and test interventions.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
6.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: April 2025 6.2 The Drug Strategy highlighted the need to build the evidence in the initial phase to support the government’s thinking on what more can be done to reduce the demand for illegal drugs over the longer-term. Alongside this, the government has and will continue to invest in a range of activities both that are specific to drugs, and which take a broader focus but support the ambition to reduce demand. This includes: • ensuring drug education is compulsory as part of the Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE) curriculum in state-funded schools; • primary research exploring the drivers of drug use in young people; • secondary research on how best to reduce recreational drug use amongst adults; • supporting vulnerable children and families with their holistic needs, including through family hubs; and • developing a guide for local Combating Drugs Partnerships (CDP) setting out evidence-based approaches, interventions, and resources that can be employed to support the implementation of local prevention activity. This draws out the important role of the CDP in working with other linked areas, such as children’s services. 6.3 The government recognises there is more to do, and that this is for a range of departments. Work is underway to bring together the evidence to better understand what works to shift the dial on drug use. This includes: • delivering a new cross-government innovation fund to test and learn interventions; • exploring international approaches; • ongoing work led by DfE to evaluate the RSHE curriculum; • evaluation of CDP and wider projects and programmes across departments; and • advice on prevention commissioned from the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs. 6.4 Departments will continue to work together to develop the evidence base, reflect on the challenges and review where efforts can be best targeted to prevent use. This includes working with related strategies to assess where departments can join up further to achieve long-term sustainable change.