§ Sir B. Rhys Williamsasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the total number of children up to 16 years mentally handicapped or otherwise, resident in National Health Service mental hospitals; how many of those are resident in adult wards; and how many are resident in special children's units within National Health Service mental hospitals.
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§ Dr. John DunwoodyThe figures are published regularly in table III of the Registrar General's Quarterly Return. An extract from the latest issue of the table is as follows:—
§ Dr. John DunwoodyThe following are the latest available figures. On 7th January 1970 there were 578 such children in mental illness hospitals, of whom 95 were in adult wards, 173 in units for adolescents and 310 in children's units. On 9th October 1968 there were about 7,370 such children in hospitals for the mentally handicapped, of whom 880 were in wards for mixed age groups and the remainder in children's wards.