John Penrose

Conservative Party | Weston-super-Mare

Weston-super-Mare MP Welcomes New Drug Treatment Funding Model

Weston-super-Mare MP John Penrose today welcomed the Government’s announcement that the Drug Treatment Budget is changing to a system of allocations per persons treated rather than by the outdated formula currently operating.

The announcement, made last week by Public Health Minister Dawn Primarolo, committed the Government to £398 million funding for drug treatment for 2008/09 as well as changing the allocation of this money over the next four years to a per capita investment.

Mr Penrose has long been pressuring the Government to make it so that funding follows the patient. Weston-super-Mare has a high proportion of recovering Drug addicts yet the current formula operating means that there is a large financial shortfall.

Estimates from the Bristol Drugs Project suggest that North Somerset should receive an extra £81,479 for drug treatment for 2008/09 and a projected total pooled treatment budget allocation of £1,293,484 by 2010/11.

Mr Penrose said:

“This news won't solve Weston's problems with addicts being dumped on us from other parts of the country, but at least it means we're getting paid for it. Up until now, too many authorities have just dumped their drug addicts in Weston-super-Mare and left local people to pick up the tab. Now the money will follow the addict, which is much fairer. I've been calling for this as part of the ‘Cleaner Weston Campaign’ for three years, and at last the Government has sat up and listened.

"We still have to deal with the central issue, which is stopping the dumping itself. But at least this is a step in the right direction."