§ 4. Mr. Blakerasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what progress is being made with the provision of accommodation for seriously maladjusted children.
§ Dr. John DunwoodyThere are now 39 special units in hospitals in England, providing 660 beds, and one of 25 beds is under construction. This compares with 17 units with 350 beds in 1964 when guidance on this subject was first issued by my Department.
Other special provision is made in services for which my right hon. Friends the Home Secretary and the Secretary of State for Education and Science are responsible.
§ Mr. BlakerIs the Joint Under-Secretary aware that Blackpool Corporation tried to get the boy referred to in my previous Question into 17 different homes, but none of them had the capacity to take him? What is happening to the suggestion that regional hospital boards might get together to provide a special children's unit?
§ Dr. DunwoodyI know that considerable efforts were made by a number of people, including my Department, to place this boy in different accommodation. He suffered from a very severe behaviour disorder and it was felt that only hospital type accommodation would be suitable. We are encouraging the development of these facilities, and the answer I have given showing the well-nigh doubling of the number of beds available over the last five years shows the success of our efforts.