Written question asked by Humfrey Malins (Conservative) on Thursday, 22 March 2007, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 26 March 2007. It was answered by Lord Coaker (Labour) on Monday, 16 April 2007 on behalf of the Home Office.

Drugs: Rehabilitation Centres

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many beds exist in drug residential rehabilitation centres; how many such places are occupied by convicted offenders; and if he will provide increased funding for such beds.

Answer: Nationally, there are around 120 drug and alcohol residential rehabilitation services in the community with approximately 3,000 bed spaces.Offenders can access residential drug treatment as part of a Community Order with a Drug Rehabilitation Requirement (DRR)/Drug Treatment and Testing Order (DTTO) or post-custodial licence, where assessed as suitable on an individual basis by a qualified professional. Figures relating to the number of these beds which are occupied by convicted defendants are not held centrally.The main source of funding for treatment is the Pooled Treatment Budget for substance misuse (PTB). The national PTB for 2006-07 is £385 million. This is 28 per cent. more than the previous year. The PTB in 2007-08 will be a record £398 million which will be nearly three times greater than the original PTB created in 2001-02 (£142 million). Additionally, in February 2007, the Government allocated £54 million for the development of in-patient and residential rehabilitation substance.

Secondary information