§ 54. Mr. Cyril Smithasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if, in view of the intention to transfer responsibility for mentally-ill persons from the hospital service to local authorities, he will issue as a matter of urgency a White Paper on the matter which will introduce an effective community-based service for them; and ensure that the paper will include consideration of proper financial provision for such transfer of responsibility.
§ Sir K. JosephThe question of transfer of responsibility does not arise. Responsibility for the mentally ill rests with the community as a whole, not with the hospital service.
The intention is to provide services which so far as possible are those best suited to the true needs of the mentally ill. In many cases patients at present in hospital would be better cared for through the medium of the local authority social services, if these were sufficiently developed. The implications are matters to be taken into account in the general consideration of the balance of health and social services expenditure.
I am aiming to issue a White Paper by the end of next year. The paper is intended to set out an overall strategy for health and social services for the mentally ill, restating, correlating and adding to guidance previously issued separately on different aspects.
It will, so far as possible, set out, in the light of priorities for the health and social services as a whole, the way in which the main areas may be expected to develop. There will however be some areas in which, in the present state of 45W knowledge, the aim will be to define the various policy options and to outline aspects needing further research and evaluation.