HC Deb 24 June 1974 vol 875 cc377-9W
Mr. Moonman

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if she will seek to provide special financial help for those areas with above average incidence of mental illness;

(2) if, in view of the fact that environmental conditions influence mental breakdowns, in particular relapses, she will enable special resources to be applied to the depressed areas.

Dr. Owen

Present information about the incidence of mental illness in particular areas is very limited, but in selecting local authority capital projects for loan approval account is taken of such factors so far as they can be ascertained. As my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment has told the House during the debate on 25th March, the Government are undertaking a review of the rate support grant distribution arrangements, with a view to completion in time for the 1975–76 settlement, and a variety of possible indicators of social need are being examined in that context.

As far as the health services are concerned, it is part of the function of regional and area health authorities to ensure that the particular needs of individual localities are taken into account in the allocation of resources.—[vol. 871, c. 57–8.]

Mr. Moonman

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many voluntary organisations are engaged in supplementing local authority mental health services; and what is the total grant they receive from public funds.

Dr. Owen

Information is not collected centrally about the number of voluntary organisations which help in this way or about grants paid to them by local authorities. Grants from my Department to voluntary organisations working in the mental illness and mental handicap fields totalled £102,500 in 1973–74. A further £245,852 was provided under special arrangements to assist projects for alcoholics and drug addicts.

Mr. Moonman

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what studies she has made of the problems of psychogeriatric patients in hospital and in the community; and if she will take steps to improve the services provided.

Dr. Owen

Guidance on the services for mental illness related to old age including the provision of special assessment units in hospital has already been issued by my Department. The Government's overall strategy for the improvement of services for the elderly mentally ill and infirm will be set out in the White Paper on Services for the Mentally Ill which my right hon. Friend announced in her reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Woolwich, East (Mr. Mayhew) on 7th May—[Vol. 873, c.73.]

A special additional capital allocation of £28 million was made to health authorities for the period 1972–73 to 1975–76 to promote an improvement in hospital services for the elderly, including those with severe dementia. Among the improvements being provided from this allocation is a number of special units for such patients. Health authorities were also asked to give priority to services for the elderly—and this would include the elderly mentally infirm—in their 1974–75 capital and revenue programmes.

My Department is providing financial assistance for a number of research projects concerned with the incidence and treatment of mental illness and infirmity in the elderly. Other studies have also been undertaken by, or in association with, hospital authorities. Consideration is also being given to means of securing improvements in the case of the elderly mentally infirm in residential homes.

Mr. Christopher Mayhew

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she will specify the total annual saving to the Exchequer resulting from the cuts announced in 1973 on hospital and community services for the mentally ill and handicapped.

Dr. Owen

The reductions in public expenditure announced in December 1973 related to the year 1974–75; and the current year's allocation for the health and personal social services programme has been reduced accordingly.

It is not practicable to extract a figure relating precisely to services for the mentally ill and handicapped.

I have made it clear that high priority should be given to the improvement of services for both these groups.