§ Q6. Mr. William Hamiltonasked the Prime Minister if he will recommend the establishment of a Royal Commission to inquire into the educational, social and physical needs of mentally handicapped children.
§ The Prime MinisterNo, Sir. I believe that the services required to meet the needs of these children can be developed without appointing a Royal Commission.
§ Mr. HamiltonIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that there is con- 1534 siderable concern about the scale and nature of the problem and that we are dealing with a subject which is either neglected or which local authorities are prepared to sweep under the carpet? I hope that the right hon. Gentleman will agree to reconsider this matter since it would appear that the only machinery which could extract the necessary information on a national basis would be a Royal Commission.
§ The Prime MinisterI am quite prepared to consider that matter but my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State, knowing that a Royal Commission usually takes a considerable time to consider matters and make recommendations, thought it best to use the Advisory Committee on Handicapped Children as a means of getting such information as the hon. Gentleman suggests and also advice on action which should be taken to deal with the problem. If the hon. Gentleman has particular indications of where action should be taken in this respect, we shall gladly consider them.
§ Sir D. RentonMight we not achieve quicker progress by waiting for the completion of the first year of responsibility of the Department of Education and Science and then taking stock of the position, rather than that we should wait for a Royal Commission?
§ The Prime MinisterThis is one of the factors we have taken into account in deciding immediately to use the advisory committee and to take action on this matter. If we were to use a Royal Commission, we would have to wait a considerable time.
§ Mr. DribergIs the right hon. Gentleman aware there is one special category of children—sometimes wrongly lumped with all mentally handicapped children—for whom far too little is done in the way of research, accommodation or training, namely, autistic children?
§ The Prime MinisterYes, Sir, I am aware of this particular problem and I agree with the hon. Gentleman that it requires very clear consideration.
§ Mr. Selwyn GummerIs my right hon. Friend aware that many mentally handicapped children find it difficult to get into hospital for other diseases? Although we are not to have a Royal Commission 1535 on this matter, is it not important to look into this problem at this moment?
§ The Prime MinisterI am prepared to ask my right hon. Friend to inquire into that particular matter straight away.
§ Mr. Alfred MorrisIs the Prime Minister satisfied—I am certain that he cannot be—that the provisions of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act affecting autistic children and other children suffering from childhood psychoses, as well as dyslectic children, are being treated with sufficient urgency by his right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Science?
§ The Prime MinisterMy right hon. Friend sent a circular to local education authorities in June. The replies to that circular have been received and they are now being collated. It is on the basis of those replies, the scale of the problem and what is being done to deal with it and, therefore, what more is required, that we can consider action.