HC Deb 19 January 1987 vol 108 cc586-7
4. Mr. John

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what additional revenue income he proposes to allocate to Mid Glamorgan area health authority in the forthcoming year.

Mr. Mark Robinson

In 1987–88 Mid Glamorgan district health authority will have a revenue allocation of nearly £125 million, an increase of just under 6 per cent. over the previous year. In addition, it will be able to retain all the revenue income that the authority itself generates.

Mr. John

The Minister will know that at Rhiwfelin hospital yesterday there was a celebration for the 100th birthday of one of the patients. Will he accept that no one who attended that celebration could fail to be impressed by the dedication of the staff to the patients and the homely atmosphere that has been created? Does the Minister agree that some of the elderly cannot be accommodated within the ideas of catering for old age within the community and that there needs to be a continuation of hospital places to accommodate such people? Does he think that the Welsh Office should have another look at the revenue implications in order I o keep hospitals such as Rhiwfelin open so that people may be accommodated with dignity in their great old age?

Mr. Robinson

I should like to associate myself with the hon. Gentleman's comments about the dedicated work of the staff at Rhiwfelin hospital. I understand that the authority is currently engaged in a consultation exercise as to the future of the hospital. Should local agreement not be reached on the matter, it will be referred to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for decision. Some of the points made by the hon. Member for Pontypridd (Mr. John) are precisely the issues my right hon. Friend will take into account when reaching his decision.

Mrs. Clwyd

Is the Minister satisfied that sufficient resources are being devoted to the care of the mentally ill and the mentally handicapped, given the highly critical report by the Hospital Advisory Service, which said last week that mental illness care in one particular Welsh county was in danger of collapse? Given the history of scandals in Wales concerning care of the mentally ill and mentally handicapped, will the Minister give us assurances that sufficient resources are being given to the area health authorities for such care?

Mr. Robinson

The report to which the hon. Lady refers goes into issues that are way beyond the details of Welsh Office funding. It concerns the role of the local health authority and social services department. However, the cash limit for 1987–88 for the All-Wales Mental Handicap Initiative, subject to parliamentary approval, is likely to be in the region of £10 million to develop new services under the mental handicap strategy.

Mr. Roy Hughes

Is it not apparent to the Minister that, with the marked decline in Health Service facilities and with mass unemployment, a poor environment and all the social factors stemming from those issues, Mid Glamorgan requires not another hospital closure but more adequate funding of its Health Service facilities?

Mr. Robinson

I do not understand how the hon. Gentleman can describe a 33 per cent. growth in recurrent revenue resources to district health authorities between 1978–79 and the present time as a cut in available resources. I also cannot understand how he can describe as a decline a hospital building programme that amounts to almost £490 million at today's prices since 1979. To my way of thinking that is a considerable increase in the hospital and care services available in the Principality.