Committees

Reducing the harm from illegal drugs

Inquiry

Illegal drug use causes significant harm to both individuals and to wider society, and costs an estimated £20 billion a year. In December 2021, the Government published ‘From Harm to Hope,’ its 10-year plan providing £900 million of new funding to reduce the harm caused by illegal drugs.

The Committee’s inquiry follows its May 2023 report on alcohol treatment services, and will examine both progress to-date in implementing the strategy, and the work of the cross-government Joint Combatting Drugs Unit (JCDU).

Based on a National Audit Office report on reducing harm from illegal drugs, the Committee’s inquiry will take evidence across two hearings.

First, the Committee will hear from expert witnesses including Professor Dame Carol Black, whose independent review of drugs recommended the creation of the JCDU.

The Committee will also hear from senior officials at the Home Office and the Department of Health and Social Care, with likely topics including:

  • progress on disrupting drugs supply;
  • reducing long-term demand for drugs;
  • any barriers to accessing treatment and supporting recovery;
  • certainty of Government funding.

If you have evidence on these issues please submit it here by 23:59 on Friday 17 November 2023. 

Please look at the requirements for written evidence submissions and note that the Committee cannot accept material as evidence that is published elsewhere.

This inquiry is no longer accepting evidence

The deadline for submissions was Friday 17 November 2023.

Upcoming events

View all events

No upcoming events scheduled

Past events

Monday 4 December 2023
3:30pm Private
4:00pm Public
Reducing the harm from illegal drugs - Oral evidence 4 December 2023
4:00pm
  • Sir Matthew Rycroft KCMG CBE (Permanent Secretary at Home Office)
  • Rachael Millar (Deputy Director, Head of the Joint Combatting Drugs Unit at Home Office)
  • Sir Chris Wormald (Permanent Secretary at Department for Health and Social Care)
The Thatcher Room, Portcullis House
Thursday 30 November 2023
9:30am Private
10:00am Public
Reducing the harm from illegal drugs - Oral evidence 30 November 2023
10:00am
  • Professor Dame Carol Black (Independent Advisor at Combating Drugs)
  • Mike Trace (CEO at The Forward Trust)
  • Alice Wiseman (Addictions Lead at The Association of Directors of Public Health (ADPH), Vice-President at The Association of Directors of Public Health (ADPH), and Director of Public Health at Gateshead Council)
  • Mark Lay (National Drugs Coordinator at National Police Chiefs’ Council)
The Thatcher Room, Portcullis House

Contact us

  • Email: pubaccom@parliament.uk
  • Phone: 020 7219 5776 (general enquiries) | 020 7219 8480 (media enquiries)
  • Address: Public Accounts Committee, House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA