MPs highlighted statistics showing a sharp rise in young people using drugs, with calls for funding guarantees to allow councils to tackle the rising issue of drug-related deaths
MPs have issued a stark warning about the impact of cuts to local authorities as drug-related deaths claim nearly 3,000 lives across England every year.
The Public Accounts Committee has called for guaranteed funding so that councils can ensure they have the resources necessary to tackle the scourge of illegal drug-related deaths, which have risen by 80 per cent between 2011 and 2021.
The committee, made up of cross-party MPs and chaired by Meg Hillier, says annual spending on drug and alcohol treatment services has fallen by 40 per cent in real terms between 2014-15 and 2021-22.
Funding allocated back in 2021 by the government to tackle drug use has only been committed until 2024-25, creating a level of uncertainty that has made it difficult for local authorities to recruit staff and rebuild the workforce.
Ms Hillier said: “Our committee is having to remind government that local authorities need long-term certainty to carry out what is some of the most challenging treatment there is to provide.
Dame Carol’s review in 2020 found that drug deaths in 2018 were the highest on record and that local government funding cuts had severely curtailed the effectiveness of treatment programs.
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MPs have issued a stark warning about the impact of cuts to local authorities as drug-related deaths claim nearly 3,000 lives across England every year.
The Public Accounts Committee has called for guaranteed funding so that councils can ensure they have the resources necessary to tackle the scourge of illegal drug-related deaths, which have risen by 80 per cent between 2011 and 2021.
The committee, made up of cross-party MPs and chaired by Meg Hillier, says annual spending on drug and alcohol treatment services has fallen by 40 per cent in real terms between 2014-15 and 2021-22.
Funding allocated back in 2021 by the government to tackle drug use has only been committed until 2024-25, creating a level of uncertainty that has made it difficult for local authorities to recruit staff and rebuild the workforce.
Ms Hillier said: “Our committee is having to remind government that local authorities need long-term certainty to carry out what is some of the most challenging treatment there is to provide.
Dame Carol’s review in 2020 found that drug deaths in 2018 were the highest on record and that local government funding cuts had severely curtailed the effectiveness of treatment programs.
The original article contains 755 words, the summary contains 196 words. Saved 74%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!