Select committee: Public Accounts Committee
Conclusion 25
Eleventh Report - Reducing the harm from illegal drugs
Published 9 Feb 2024
Addressed to HM Treasury
Public Accounts Committee Reducing the harm from illegal drugs All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Conclusion (the committee's words)
Ms Wiseman told us that preventing vulnerable people falling victim to substance misuse must include consideration of issues such as deprivation, trauma, poor mental ill health, and adverse childhood experiences. The support networks and services that were once available to help families have been eroded over the past decade. Ms Wiseman highlighted the need for primary prevention measures, providing services to vulnerable children and families and to break the intergenerational cycle of substance misuse.83 The JCDU and DHSC agreed that there needed to be a “whole of society” response as the issues went beyond what could be funded by the strategy. Such a response needs to consider wider factors, focusing on prevention and recognising the importance of education, housing and employment to help stop people from using drugs.84 74 Q 115; C&AG’s Report, para 1.3 75 Committee of Public Accounts, Alcohol treatment services, Fifty-Fourth Report of Session 2022–23, 24 May 2023, para 6 76 Qq 100, 115 77 C&AG’s Report, para 10 78 Q 15 79 Q 115 80 Qq 13, 19 81 Q 67 82 Q 69; C&AG’s Report, Figure 9 83 Q 12 84 Q 115 16 Reducing the harm from illegal drugs
From: Public Accounts Committee, Eleventh Report - Reducing the harm from illegal drugs (HC 72), 9 February 2024
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 2 April 2024.
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The government states that it agrees with the Committee's recommendation on each of the six conclusions, giving target implementation dates of the end of 2024, March 2025 or April 2025, and describing one as already implemented.
- On sustained investment, the government agrees, and says the Joint Combating Drugs Unit and departments are "focused on developing a strong joint case for investment" at the next spending review, with a target date of the end of 2024.
- On funding certainty for local authorities, the government agrees and lists the recommendation as implemented. It says it "will give as much notice as is feasible" of future allocations, and published 2024-25 Public Health Grant allocations on 5 February 2024.
- On variations in local outcomes, the government agrees, with a target of March 2025. It cites targeted work by DHSC with 19 local authority areas, including "tailored performance improvement plans", and ongoing evaluation of local delivery.
- On reducing demand, the government agrees, with a target of April 2025. It "recognises there is more to do" and says work is underway to bring together the evidence, including a new cross-government innovation fund.