BinB Home     :      Micro site Log-in     :      01753 852904     :      Email Log-in      :      Buy YOUR - BinB Microsite - Promotional Micro site
Political Editor
c/o Business in Berkshire
Windsor
Berkshire
SL4 4BU
Email
View map

 

Salter demands intervention over drug funding cuts
Reading West MP, Martin Salter has today written to Vernon Coaker, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State in the Home Office with responsibility for drugs strategy, asking for an explanation for proposed funding cuts for the West Berkshire Drug and Alcohol Action team, and seeking an urgent meeting with him in a bid to get the funding restored.

The Drug Intervention Programme grant is to be cut by 11.5% for the year 2007/8 and this funding is specifically used to commission local drug treatment services to enable drug users who are in contact with the criminal justice system to access treatment. The Young Person’s Substance Misuse programmes will also be cut by 11.5%. Possible impacts include:

- a reduction in drugs workers
- an increase in drug related crime
- fewer drug users receiving treatment
- an increase in drug related deaths
- an increase in prostitution

Mr Salter said: “I cannot believe that the Home Office is making these cuts to such vital services. In Reading and West Berkshire we are doing all we can to cut drug related crime and get drug addicts into treatment to break the cycle of re-offending and addiction.

"This cut in funding must be demoralising for all those committed people who work to reduce drug addiction and crime. I think the Home Office needs to explain this decision, and quickly.”

In his letter, Mr Salter said: “With 60-70% of all acquisitive crime in Reading having its roots in drug addiction it makes no sense to be reducing the Drug Intervention Programme. It is a false economy – if anything these programmes need more money not less.”

Mr Salter has received approaches from drugs workers in Reading worried about future funding and representation from Nick Carter, Chief Executive of West Berkshire District Council; Councillor Tony Page, Reading Borough Council Lead Councillor for Community Action and Councillor Pete Ruhemann, Reading Borough Council Lead Councillor for Children’s Services.

16/04/07


In this section:
New job for Salter
Home Secretary praises Longhurst campaign
Report names Reading as top UK city
South-East grants
Brown to let young use commons benches
Salter welcomes criminal justice bill to outlaw images of violent porn
Salter gets it 'wrong' for wallace and gromit
Salter keeps up pressure for reading station upgrade
Salter keeps up pressure for reading station upgrade
Salter demands power cut compensation for Tilehurst residents
Labour slams Tories over Reading's third Thames bridge
Salter demands overrule of "cruel" nice guidance
Parliamentarians to promote angling at London's Docklands
Opening prison doors with music
Salter launches national shooting week
Salter joins search to find the missing millions with killer disease
MPs angling group catches the latest news on Kennet and Pang river restoration work
Salter's bill to end MPs moonlighting
Salter joins Reading's footballers in support for "Mayday For Nurses" campaign
Salter warns constituents of phone scam
Salter joins campaign against excess packaging
Top Tories tell Reading's Conservatives "you're wrong"
Meeting to stop Met poaching Thames Valley police
Salter present awards at offender's training employment award ceremony
Thames Valley MPs meet police minister to stop MET poaching officers
Salter slams Reader's Digest survey
Salter demands intervention over drug funding cuts
Salter gets fit and healthy at the True Food Co-op
Salter stands up for tenants rights
Salter Supports Action Mesothelioma Campaign
£1m cost of "daft idea"
Salter welcomes Brown's eco-budget
Salter welcomes rail minister
Success for Pangbourne commuters
Salter runs for Tsunami appeal
Salter's statement on trident
Salter wants protection for Reading traders and shoppers
Salter backs drive to protect victims of child trafficking
Salter Urges MPs to Back House of Lords Reform
Government Prohibits Canoeists' Access to Rivers
Minister Confirms Law on Animal Rights Activists
Thames Valley MPs Win 40 Pt Recovery Plan in FGW U-Turn
Volte Face for FGW
Letter to Council over Ryeish Green Closure
MPs Meet Transport Secretary Over FGW
Bus Minister Told of Cleaner Future
More Money for Reading Students
Salter Backs Democratic House of Lords
Timetable Protest
Salter Backs English Lessons for Migrants
Salter Brings Streetgames To Westminster
Minister Agrees to Contact Royal Mail
Stop Poaching Our Police
Mail Closures
Children’s Minister To Open New Southcote CHildren's Centre
Sort Out Reading West Timetable
Government to Help Thames Valley Police With Costs of Counter-Terrorism
New First Great Western Timetable Changes Make a Bad Situation Worse
First Great Western Timetables To Be Challenged by MPs
Salter Calls For Madejski To Be Knighted
Transport Secretary Hears Reading Station Case
MPs Demand Urgent Action on 'Half-Baked' Train Timetables
Kashmir Group Condemns Baroness Nicholson'e Report to European Parliament
Fight for Reading Mail Centre Continues
Coalition of MPs and Big Business Fight Government on Tracks
Salter Backs Radical Action to Avert Water Crisis
Salter Fights to Save Reading Mail Centre
Blair Urged to Intervene Over Farepak Rip-off
Salter joins Eastenders Star at Joint Down’s syndrome project to help parents
Why Labour Are Introducing the Criminal Justice Bill
Queen's Speech Heralds Victory for Campaign Against Internet Porn
Victory in Sight for Campaign Against Violent Porn
Salter asks DEFRA to reverse cuts to fisheries budget
Longhurst Campaign Meets New Home Office Minister
Victory in Sight for Longhurst Campaign Against Violent Internet Porn

Wordtracker
Business in Berkshire uses Wordtracker to help manage our micro site owner accounts. It is the perfect tool for establishing the search strings that people are actually searching... Rather than assuming... go open your own account, click below...