2. Business Statement and Announcement

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 2:26 pm on 30 April 2019.

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Photo of Rebecca Evans Rebecca Evans Labour 2:26, 30 April 2019

Thank you for raising this important issue. Of course, residential rehabilitation and in-patient detoxification play a really important role in helping service users secure a long-term recovery. The Welsh Government remains committed to ensuring that such services are available and will remain an important element of the Welsh Government's substance misuse strategy in terms of its ongoing priorities. This year, we've committed more than £50 million to ensuring that people have the right help and support that they need to deal with the impact of substance misuse and £1 million of that will specifically support residential detox and rehab. Around half of the funding—so, £25 million—goes directly to our area planning boards, which are responsible for the assessing, commissioning and delivering of substance misuse services, and they commission those services in line with clinical guidance and with input from service users themselves.

With particular regard to organisations such as Brynawel, it is certainly for the chief executives of those organisations to advertise the good work that they do and to make those contacts and make those links in order to ensure that they are viable businesses. I know Welsh Government has supported Brynawel in a number of ways over the years, and, of course, Business Wales is very keen to engage with them to see what further support, information and advice we can offer for the future.