§ 2. Mr. Hamiltonasked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many homes are provided for old people by local authorities under the National Assistance Act; the total number of old people in them; and the number of such homes which do not provide for separate sick-bay accommodation.
Mr. McNeilIn Scotland 72 homes with 4,634 beds are provided directly by local authorities under the Act. Some of these beds, however, are available for disabled persons who may not be old. There are also 19 institutions, transferred to regional hospital boards, in which authorities have a right to use 1,339 beds. The total number of persons resident in this accommodation is approximately 4,000. The information asked for in the last part of the Question, I regret, is not available.
§ Mr. HamiltonIf the information asked for in the latter part of the Question is not available, how is it that in a letter which I have recently received from the Department it is said that most authorities have, in fact, provided this sick-bay accommodation? If the information is not available now, how was it available then?
Mr. McNeilBecause it is a subject for each individual authority. Most authorities prefer to have a flexible arrangement relating to the use of their beds; most authorities, I am glad to say, are able to set aside a sick-bay.