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22/06/2010
Drugs Unit 'Unlikely' As Budget Bites
An inter-church group has this week called on the Stormont Executive to "do more" to help Northern Ireland's teenage drugs addicts, but their bid to develop a specialist in-patient unit already seems doomed.
They want a small six to eight-bed unit within Northern Ireland to address the growing number of young people addicted to drugs. Presbyterian spokesman Lindsay Conway said the combined churches were trying to help, but they needed more support from the government.
Mr Conway said that while a counselling service was being launched which "at least will have an immediate response to some local problems" - a bid to have a dedicated in-patient unit established was this morning all but dismissed.
While Jim Wells, Chairman of the Assembly Health Committee is on record as underlining the need for free healthcare for all to be maintained in the face of anticipated "Tory/Lib Dem cuts to the Northern Ireland block grant", the DUP MLA said on BBC Radio Ulster this morning that such fresh spending as required to set up and run such a facility was extremely unlikely.
He said that Chancellor George Osborne's first Budget will be dominated by spending cuts and tax increases.
Mr Osborne has already said his four-year plan to reduce borrowing - set to top £155bn this year - requires "tough action" and the NI Executive has already been told last month that it must save an extra £128m on top of £393m other savings this year.
As the devolved administration in Northern Ireland does not have responsibility for tax gathering, the Treasury in London works out how much money it gets from the UK's overall income - so this is expected to be reduced further - even though political leaders in Northern Ireland have already pledged to fight the cuts and protect as much of its block grant as they can.
In counterpoint - and still on health matters - a leading charity has urged the Chancellor to increase one form of taxation substantially.
NI Chest, Heart & Stroke (NICHS) wants a large, one-off increase on tobacco duty to reduce consumption by 2.5% and provide an additional £400m for the Treasury.
Andrew Dougal, Chief Executive of NICHS said: "The Policy Exchange Think Tank, through its research, has found that the popular myth that smoking is a net contributor to the economy is totally false.
"Its research shows that every single cigarette smoked costs the country 6.5p. It calls for an increase over the five years of this Parliament of a total of £1.29 on a pack of 20 to a sale price of £7.42.
"At this stage smoking would be cost-neutral to the Exchequer," Mr Dougal claimed.
The annual cost of health care and other consequences of smoking totals £13.74bn – 6.5 pence per cigarette. Currently tobacco taxation raises £10bn per year for the Treasury – a shortfall of £3.74bn.
The total includes the cost of low productivity during 'smoke breaks' and the bill for cleaning up fag ends and putting out fires.
Andrew Dougal said: "Government should spend about £10m per year throughout the UK in order to boost the take-up of stop smoking services.
"This is particularly necessary in deprived areas where more people smoke.
"Incremental change will not propel many smokers to quit the habit. A substantial increase at a single stroke would greatly motivate many to quit the habit."
(BMcC/GK)
They want a small six to eight-bed unit within Northern Ireland to address the growing number of young people addicted to drugs. Presbyterian spokesman Lindsay Conway said the combined churches were trying to help, but they needed more support from the government.
Mr Conway said that while a counselling service was being launched which "at least will have an immediate response to some local problems" - a bid to have a dedicated in-patient unit established was this morning all but dismissed.
While Jim Wells, Chairman of the Assembly Health Committee is on record as underlining the need for free healthcare for all to be maintained in the face of anticipated "Tory/Lib Dem cuts to the Northern Ireland block grant", the DUP MLA said on BBC Radio Ulster this morning that such fresh spending as required to set up and run such a facility was extremely unlikely.
He said that Chancellor George Osborne's first Budget will be dominated by spending cuts and tax increases.
Mr Osborne has already said his four-year plan to reduce borrowing - set to top £155bn this year - requires "tough action" and the NI Executive has already been told last month that it must save an extra £128m on top of £393m other savings this year.
As the devolved administration in Northern Ireland does not have responsibility for tax gathering, the Treasury in London works out how much money it gets from the UK's overall income - so this is expected to be reduced further - even though political leaders in Northern Ireland have already pledged to fight the cuts and protect as much of its block grant as they can.
In counterpoint - and still on health matters - a leading charity has urged the Chancellor to increase one form of taxation substantially.
NI Chest, Heart & Stroke (NICHS) wants a large, one-off increase on tobacco duty to reduce consumption by 2.5% and provide an additional £400m for the Treasury.
Andrew Dougal, Chief Executive of NICHS said: "The Policy Exchange Think Tank, through its research, has found that the popular myth that smoking is a net contributor to the economy is totally false.
"Its research shows that every single cigarette smoked costs the country 6.5p. It calls for an increase over the five years of this Parliament of a total of £1.29 on a pack of 20 to a sale price of £7.42.
"At this stage smoking would be cost-neutral to the Exchequer," Mr Dougal claimed.
The annual cost of health care and other consequences of smoking totals £13.74bn – 6.5 pence per cigarette. Currently tobacco taxation raises £10bn per year for the Treasury – a shortfall of £3.74bn.
The total includes the cost of low productivity during 'smoke breaks' and the bill for cleaning up fag ends and putting out fires.
Andrew Dougal said: "Government should spend about £10m per year throughout the UK in order to boost the take-up of stop smoking services.
"This is particularly necessary in deprived areas where more people smoke.
"Incremental change will not propel many smokers to quit the habit. A substantial increase at a single stroke would greatly motivate many to quit the habit."
(BMcC/GK)
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Northern Ireland WeatherThis Evening and Tonight:Rain clearing away east by early evening with some clear spells but a few showers likely to affect the North coast and other areas towards dawn, remaining breezy and mild overnight. Minimum temperature 9 °C.
