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Proceeding contribution from John Penrose (Conservative) in the House of Commons on Tuesday, 24 January 2006. It occurred during Adjournment debate on Addiction Treatment Centres (Weston-super-Mare).


Addiction Treatment Centres (Weston-super-Mare)

: My hon. Friend is absolutely right. As part of a complete care package and plan, typically after leaving treatment, most care plans will involve a series of steps through half-way houses, dry houses, education and training and voluntary work as a way of re-entering society as one of its fully functioning members. My hon. Friend is correct to point out that people can fall through the cracks in that process. That is why a properly functioning care plan is vital. My final point to the Minister is that rather than having a solitary Back-Bench MP such as myself with a particular problem in his constituency writing to local agencies that have referred people for treatment in Weston-super-Mare, a far more effective way of dealing with the problem would be through Government action to remind agencies of the duty of care they owe to people whom they send for treatment—in Weston or anywhere else. That duty is to ensure that people complete their care programme and that when they leave their treatment in any place, particularly Weston, they are not left to sit on a street corner and make their own way. Those are the three critical issues, and there is a big opportunity for the nation and the Government to pick up on them. I hope that the Government will consider what is happening in Weston-super-Mare and use it wherever possible—potentially nationally—as a pilot for roll-out. I hope, also, that the Minister has had a chance to study the report that the local police authority published, and which my predecessor, Brian Cotter, referred to the Secretary of State for Home Affairs. It set out several of those points in greater detail. I look forward to the Minister's reply.


Secondary information

Type
Proceeding contribution
Reference
441 c414WH 
Session
2005-06
Chamber / Committee
Westminster Hall
Subjects
Community care Health services Inspections Drugs Medical treatments Misuse Rehabilitation Registration Standards Somerset Weston-super-Mare
Link
View this Proceeding contribution on www.publications.parliament.uk