Mitch Winehouse Urges UK Parliament For More Rehab Funds

Amy Winehouse’s father, Mitch, met with British politicians on Monday, to discuss drug policies and treatment services. He urged senior members of Parliament to provide more assistance to young people afflicted with substance abuse issues.

"The government needs to look at the reallocation of funding to channel more in to help juveniles," Winehouse said to reporters.

"This isn't about Amy because we were in a fortunate position of being able to fund Amy to go into private rehab -- this is about people that can't afford it,” he said.

Winehouse, a former taxi driver, met with Home Office minister James Brokenshire, and Keith Vaz, chairman of the Home Affairs Select Committee. In 2009, Winehouse, 60, had testified before the Committee during an inquiry into drugs.

"We always revisit our reports but I think it's important that we look again because it seems, from what he has said today, the level of support is not there and there appears to be an inconsistency of funding," Vaz stated after the meeting.

"Rather than money being wasted through the criminal justice system, there could be a reallocation of funds. There was one rehab center for juveniles and that's just shut down through lack of funding so we need to look at that. We need to be able to help our children," Winehouse further said.

Britain’s only residential rehabilitation centre for young people, Middlegate, closed last year. Presently, juvenile addicts face up to a two year waiting list for National Health Service treatment, or must foot the bill at private clinics.

Last week, Winehouse revealed plans to set up a foundation in his daughter’s name, to assist people dealing with addiction problems unable to afford treatment.