Winchester’s MP spoke in the House of Commons as the Minister for Crime and Policing, Kit Malthouse, gave a statement on the Government’s new ten year drug strategy.
The former Justice Select Committee member, Steve Brine, welcome the long-term plan which he described as “excellent” and a “thoughtful piece of work”. Mr Brine also commended the Government for dealing “with support for families and family-based treatment, particularly where parents are themselves dependent on drugs or alcohol.”.
Mr Brine, who works closely with groups that deal with vulnerable individuals, such as Trinity and Winchester Beacon, went on to ask the Minister further about family support, saying; “Could the Minister expand on that a little? Is that through the new family hubs that were announced in the Budget? Is it through local authorities? Will he just say a bit more about that, please?”
Steve’s fellow Hampshire MP thanked him for his “words of encouragement” and went on to say; “My hon. Friend is quite right that we need to focus very much on drugs in the home. The funding that is put in place, although it is routed through the Department of Health and Social Care, will go to local authorities, which will then be able to design their own services locally to fit their own requirements and demographic.
Some of that might be in the home, some of it might be residential, and some of it might be on an out-patient basis. We do not want to be prescriptive at this stage, but this will be channelled through local authorities, which can design services appropriately.”
The plan is supported by record investment of nearly £900 million of dedicated funding over the Spending Review period, taking the total investment over 3 years to £3 billion.
More information
