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Asked by:
Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged:
6 February 2003
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Current status:
Answered by Hugh Henry on 18 February 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what initiatives it has undertaken, or plans to undertake, to tackle drug misuse in the (a) Dumbarton parliamentary constituency, (b) Argyll and Bute local authority area and (c) West Dunbartonshire local authority area and how much money has been allocated to each area for this purpose.
The Scottish Executive's drugs strategy, Tackling Drugs in Scotland: Action in Partnership, is backed by around £130 million in new resources for 2001-02 to 2003-04. All areas of Scotland have benefited from these additional resources in terms of new drug treatment and rehabilitation services, improved support for young people and families, improved treatment provision in prisons, more criminal justice interventions, strengthened enforcement activity, enhanced drugs education in schools and in the community and better improved information on drugs.However, the planning and delivery of local activities and initiatives is the responsibility of local drug action teams and partner agencies. drug action teams are required to report to the Scottish Executive on actions undertaken and planned in their annual corporate action plans. These can be found on the national drugs website at www.drugmisuse.isdscotland.org The plans show evidence of enhanced service provision in the areas requested, particularly in terms of services for vulnerable young people, the further development of integrated services, and the provision of training and employment opportunities for recovering drug users. A Drug Treatment and Testing Order has also recently come into operation in the Argyll and Clyde area.Information on drug-related expenditure is not held on a constituency basis. The main components of drugs specific expenditure allocated to NHS boards and local authorities in the areas requested is outlined in the following tables. The areas may also be benefiting from other resources which are not drug specific, but which impact on the problem. Drug Treatment
| NHS Board | 2001-02(£000) | 2002-03(£000) | 2003-04(£000) |
| Argyll and Clyde | 1,111 | 1,338 | 1,338 |
| Greater Glasgow | 4,387 | 4,488 | 4,488 |
Rehabilitation
| Council Area | 2001-02(£000) | 2002-03(£000) | 2003-04(£000) |
| Argyll and Bute | 119 | 119 | 119 |
| West Dunbaronshire | 126 | 126 | 126 |
Drugs Education in Schools
| Council Area | 2001-02(£000) | 2002-03(£000) |
| Argyll and Bute | 17.5 | 17.5 |
| West Dunbaronshire | 21 | 21 |
Changing Children's Services Fund (for work with young people and families)
| Council Area | 2001-02 to 2003-04(£000) |
| Argyll and Bute | 259 |
| West Dunbaronshire | 510 |