§ 35. Mr. Wainwrightasked the Minister of Health, what are his proposals to help the Sheffield Regional Hospital Board to find permanent hospital accommodation for the 100 mentally handicapped children who require hospital treatment.
§ Mr. PowellAccommodation for 126 children is now being built at Balderton and for 80 at Aston-on-Trent.
§ Mr. WainwrightI do not know whether the Minister has the wrong district. The Question relates to the Sheffield Regional Hospital Board area. Does the Minister realise that the parents of these children, with the best will and greatest amount of love in the world, are unable to cope with them at home, especially when there are other children? To say that the accommodation will be found in the near future is most unsatisfactory. Will he do something now—never mind the future—to find this accommodation for these children?
§ Mr. PowellI told the hon. Member that over 200 places are now being built in the region.
§ Mr. WainwrightI am certain that throughout the region there will be a greater number of cases than the number of places to be found, and I therefore impress on the Minister again that he must do something in this matter, otherwise there will be quite a big noise created by the people concerned.