SCOTLAND has been urged to mirror a commitment from the UK Government to provide £6 million of funding to help children with alcoholic parents get support and advice.
UK Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said the move would ensure thousands of children have access to the support they need and deserve.
Fast access to children’s mental health services and schemes to treat parents’ addiction are among the proposals.
Scottish Labour called on the SNP to immediately look into setting up a similar fund in Scotland.
The party’s shadow health secretary Anas Sarwar said it “shows what can happen when party politics are put to one side”.
He added: “My colleague Monica Lennon MSP has pressed for similar action in Scotland.
“The Scottish government should immediately consider the value of establishing a similar fund in Scotland.”
Ms Lennon – whose father died of an alcohol-related illness – has long called for extra support for families blighted by drink.
A Scottish Government spokeswoman said helping children affected by parental substance misuse was a “priority”.
She said: “That is why we currently provide funding of £600,000 per year to the Corra Foundation, who support Scottish voluntary organisations,to deliver vital on-the-ground support largely to children and families across Scotland affected by substance and alcohol misuse.
“Our alcohol and drug treatment strategy is currently being refreshed this year and this will include a stronger focus on families and children affected by parental substance misuse.
"We also recognise the importance of listening to the experiences of children and young people affected by parental substance misuse and we are working closely with the Corra Foundation to implement the recommendations from their report ‘Everyone has a story’, an action learning project aimed at addressing the gap in understanding children’s and young people’s views of the recovery process.?"
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