Written question asked by David Hinchliffe (Labour) on Tuesday, 18 November 1997, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 27 November 1997. It was answered by Baroness Jowell (Labour) on Thursday, 27 November 1997 on behalf of the Department of Health.

Dept of Health

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what proposals he has for the co-ordination of services to deal with the problems of young people addicted to heroin and other similar drugs.

Answer: Mr. Hinchliffe: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proposals he has for the co-ordination of services to deal with the problems of young people addicted to heroin and other similar drugs. [17238] Ms Jowell: The current drugs strategy "Tackling Drugs Together" makes young people a priority. On 25 November three new documents about young people were launched by the Standing Conference on Drug Abuse following consultation with the Department and service providers. My hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State was present and endorsed the documents. They outline the need for services which are appropriate for children and young people, which take a holistic approach, and which have staff with appropriate training for working with young people. They also provide detailed information about good practice, models of services and information about critical success factors. All three documents emphasise the necessity of inter-agency partnerships to deal with the problems of young people who misuse drugs.

Secondary information