Questions Without Notice from the Party Leaders

Part of 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 1:47 pm on 5 March 2019.

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Photo of Paul Davies Paul Davies Conservative 1:47, 5 March 2019

Well, let me give the Minister some figures, because figures from last year show that only a shockingly small percentage—13.5 per cent—of substance misusers who underwent treatment on the NHS were substance-free by the end of their course. Now, my visit to the excellent Brynawel rehab centre recently, the only centre of its kind in the country, showed me how desperately help is needed for some of the most vulnerable in our society from centres like this. Just last month, the Minister for Health and Social Services dismissed calls to address the need for residential care here in Wales, but despite pledging to ring-fence £50 million for health boards to back substance misuse services, centres similar to Brynawel have closed across the country. And, when tackled on the subject last month by a member of your own party, the Minister failed to commit to support what he described as merely a 'useful facility'. Can you therefore clarify here today, Minister, what specific resources are going to be available from the Welsh Government in the coming years to provide specialist residential care to help those in need to get their lives back, given that money has been ring-fenced for substance misuse services?