§ 28. Mr. Patonasked the Minister of Health how many low-grade cot cases of mental deficiency are on the waiting list in the city of Norwich for admission to mental deficiency institutions; and how many of them have been on the waiting list for more than twelve months.
§ Mr. TurtonSeven; and four.
§ Mr. PatonIs the Minister aware of the very tragic circumstances which often attend these very pitiful cases in overcrowded small houses, and, therefore, will he treat it as a matter of great urgency to find accommodation for them and to consider in this respect taking over old houses which could be easily adapted for the care of such children in much the same way as for old people?
§ Mr. TurtonI am certainly aware of the first part of the hon. Gentleman's supplementary, but that is not the difficulty. The difficulty is that at Little Plumstead there is already a villa designed for low-grade children, including cot and chair cases, which cannot at present be used for them because of shortage of staff.
§ Mr. PatonIs it not true that in these cases the staff need not necessarily mean skilled nurses? What the children really need is constant attention and care which could be given equally well by unskilled persons.