4. Debate: Tackling Substance Misuse

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 3:25 pm on 21 November 2017.

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Photo of John Griffiths John Griffiths Labour 3:25, 21 November 2017

I wonder if I could begin by raising some concerns in terms of capital funds' availability, because I know that there are concerns that limitations to capital may result in offices closing and the unavailability of staff to provide a service in particular areas. For example, when leases expire, if there isn't sufficient capital to obtain premises and, indeed, equipment, then there may be a concentration of service provision in particular geographical areas, such as Newport, for example, which is already a focal point for delivery of services for a wider area. But there are concerns that, if that increases, then the level of service provision and the numbers attending service providers in Newport will get to the level where it creates greater concern than already exists in terms of the perceived problems, at least, that too many people trying to access those services in a fairly narrow geographical area creates. So, I wonder if there might be some reassurance in terms of capital funding and the avoidance of those problems.

There was also a concern that changes to homelessness legislation mean that prison leavers no longer have the sort of priority for accommodation that they once had, which has resulted in an increase in homelessness and rough-sleeping. Amongst those prison leavers are those with substance abuse issues. I know that some of the service providers are concerned that that change has resulted in an increase in the problems that people with those substance misuse problems experience—and, by extension, service providers experience.

I also, Dirprwy Lywydd, wanted to talk a little bit about and ask some questions on Alcohol Concern Cymru's advice on good parenting, particularly around alcohol issues, some of which was addressed in the recent Alcohol Awareness Week, and there are fact sheets that are helpful. It seems to me that a lot of parents, as I think Alcohol Concern Cymru reinforce, have a view that it's sensible to introduce their children to alcohol in a responsible way, within a family setting, and that this often happens in continental Europe, for example, having a glass of wine with a meal, and that that's a good way of introducing children to alcohol, rather than them finding out about it, as it were, experiencing it outside the home and perhaps overindulging. But the advice, I think, is that it's actually beneficial if children are completely alcohol free, certainly before the age of 15, and that, if they are introduced to it after the age of 14, for example, then it should be in a very restricted way. Also, there is, I guess, an obvious issue in terms of parents as role models. Parents have to be very careful about how often they indulge in alcohol in front of their children, and be very careful not to overindulge, because I think there's a lot of evidence that, if they fail to guard against those dangers of being a negative role model in these terms, then it does lead to heavy drinking in adolescence, or a greater propensity to heavy drinking in adolescence from their children.

So, those are just some of the issues. Obviously, there's a range of very important issues around parenting and good parenting to avoid alcohol abuse issues and substance misuse issues generally in the future, and we are increasingly about prevention. I just wonder if we could hear a little bit about what the Welsh Government is doing to raise awareness and get positive parenting in place.

Finally, Dirprwy Lywydd, I was at the Newport food festival, which increasingly is a very important event and growing in strength and profile. They had an alcohol-free beer stall, which was very popular, and had a range of different beers, several different beers, which were alcohol free, and, obviously, they were using that to also promote some good messages around avoiding over-indulgence. But they tell me that they're not aware of any Welsh brewers producing alcohol-free beer, although there is a good market for it and that's likely to increase in the future. I wonder whether the Welsh Government Cabinet Secretary might be able to offer a few comments as far as that's concerned.