Rehab plea from Amy Winehouse family

Shortly after the death of Amy Winehouse, Mitch Winehouse said that he wanted to do something in her name for addicts who could not afford private treatment.

The Back To Black artist had cancelled all tour dates and engagements in June after a series of erratic public appearances.

Mitch Winehouse has now discussed plans to address a gap in treatment services and drugs policy with Crime Minister James Brokenshire and Keith Vaz, chairman of the home affairs select committee.

After the meeting in parliament, Mr Winehouse said he wanted to “keep busy” adding: “I want to involve myself in things that would be important to Amy.

“That is why we are going to be setting up the Amy Winehouse Foundation,” he said.

“This isn’t only important to me, this is important to our whole country.

We need to be able to help our children. Mitch Winehouse

“There’s hundreds of thousands of young people in situations today that could be avoided, and these are our future policemen, doctors and lawyers and solicitors, that we could help.

“We need to be able to help our children.”

Amy Winehouse, 27, was found dead at her flat in north London on 23 July.

Her multiple Grammy award-winning album Back To Black topped the UK album charts on Sunday night and five of her singles are in the top 40, including the single Back To Black at number eight.

The singer’s family are currently awaiting the results of toxicology tests to establish the cause of her death.

‘Look again at the issue’

Mr Vaz said that Mr Winehouse “spoke from his heart” during the meeting and promised the select committee would look at the issue of rehabilitation for youngsters again.

He said it seemed the “level of support is not there” after Britain’s only NHS rehabilitation centre for young people – Middlegate in Nettleton, Lincolnshire – closed last year.

Read more: Third Amy Winehouse album for release?

He said: “Mitch Winehouse and I had a 45-minute meeting today and at the start of the meeting I expressed my and the committee’s deep condolences to him and the family on the terrible, tragic death of Amy, who was a great British musician.

“Two years ago Mitch gave very powerful evidence to the home affairs select committee about the lack of facilities available for those going into residential care who need to be rehabilitated.

“And that evidence struck a chord with the committee and we made a number of recommendations to the Government about funding.

“As a result of what he has said to me today I will ask members of the committee to look again at this issue.”