Andrew Gwynne MP: speeches 2025

Speeches

• 7 Jan 2025 · Drug and Alcohol Addiction: Treatment · Hansard source

  More

  Attempting to exploit people with addictions is reprehensible. Free drug and alcohol treatment is available in every part of the country and I urge anyone who is struggling right now to visit the NHS addiction website. The Care Quality Commission has said that it could take legal action against companies misusing its logo, and Google has said it would remove search listings from these companies. I am more than happy to meet my hon. Friend to see what more we can do to stop this outrageous activity.

• 7 Jan 2025 · Drug and Alcohol Addiction: Treatment · Hansard source

  More

  I thank my hon. Friend for his question and for his campaigning on this important issue—and indeed for speaking so honestly about his own experiences during his time in this House. An additional £267 million has been invested this year to improve the quality and capacity of drug and alcohol treatment and recovery. We are committed to correcting the years of disinvestment in treatment and recovery services and ensuring that people can access the support they need.

• 7 Jan 2025 · Drug and Alcohol Addiction: Treatment · Hansard source

  More

  My hon. Friend raises an important point. As part of the Government’s health mission, we are producing a five-point plan for prevention, and alcohol harms is one of those areas. I hope to be able to update her and the House in due course on the actions we will be taking to drive down the prevalence of alcohol harms and other addictions, because they are costing lives and causing misery in communities. That is why this Government are determined to tackle these public health problems.

• 7 Jan 2025 · Drug and Alcohol Addiction: Treatment · Hansard source

  More

  The hon. Gentleman raises an important point. This Government are committed to having the healthiest generation of children ever. That means we will have a concerted effort on a whole range of health issues that determine the health and wellbeing of young people, which will hopefully ensure that they become healthy adults as a consequence. Alcohol harms are certainly one of the considerations we will be looking at.

• 7 Jan 2025 · Drug and Alcohol Addiction: Treatment · Hansard source

  More

  Social prescribing is one of the tools, and it is an important one in addressing public health concerns in each of our constituencies. This Government are committed to ensuring that we get those shifts from sickness to prevention. We will be ensuring that local areas have public health funding in reasonable time. We are about to announce, in due course, this year’s allocations. We need to make sure that local systems maximise the use of their money, and that certainly includes social prescribing.