To better understand the provision of chemsex support, treatment, and harm reduction in Greater London for LGBT+ people, the Gay Men’s Health Collective (GMHC) submitted two Freedom of Information (FOI) requests.
[1] On 27 May 2024, GMHC made a FOI request to the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) asking to know how much funding has been earmarked or spent for LGBTQ+ people, gay men and other men who have sex with men in relation to chemsex – following the Independent Review of Drugs by Dame Carol Black, and Government allocated funds to challenge illegal drug misuse, combat drug misuse, treatment and to reduce drug harms. On 21 June 2024, DHSC replied saying: “DHSC does not hold the information you have requested” and suggested “you may wish to contact LAs directly which may hold the information you have requested.”
[2] In late June 2024, GMHC sent a FOI request to 32 London Boroughs asking to know how much funding has been earmarked, allocated or spent, specifically for LGBTQ+ people, gay men and other men who have sex with men in relation to 1) chemsex treatment and 2) harm reduction (2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25).
By way of an exploratory exercise, Boroughs have been graded from A to G using the following criteria:
- A: Specific funding earmarked, allocated or spent with figures:
Hackney, Hammersmith and Fulham, Haringey, Lambeth, Lewisham, Merton, Tower Hamlets, Westminster - B: Specific funding earmarked, allocated or spent without figures:
Newham, Kensington and Chelsea - C: Generic/ mainstream funding with figures:
Brent, Greenwich, Enfield - D: Generic/ mainstream funding without figures:
Harrow, Havering, Hillingdon, Hounslow, Islington, Kingston upon Thames, Barking and Dagenham, Barnet, Bexley, Ealing - E: No data held:
Bromley, Camden, Redbridge, Richmond, Sutton, Wandsworth, Waltham Forest
- F: No response:
Croydon - G: Didn’t seem to understand FOI:
Southwark
Some allowances were made for the quality and scope of some information supplied. Some FOI responses explained reasons why the information requested was not available. The high majority of responses were received within 20 working days. Laying out the information supplied in the document, paragraph breaks were removed.
GMHC regards this document as a snapshot and a springboard for discussion – especially against the backdrop of ‘takeaways and next steps’ from the London Chemsex Conference held on Friday 7 June 2024 at Camden Town Hall.
London Chemsex Support FOI | PDF | 26 Aug 2024
