§ Lord HYLTONasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether, following the recent letter from the Secretary of State for Social Services to The Times, they will make a Statement of their policy and practical proposals for the future care of handicapped children by local authorities and Health Authorities.
§ Lord WELLS-PESTELLMy right honourable friend's letter toThe Times referred only to the care of mentally handicapped children. The principles which form the basis of Government policies for the mentally handicapped 1967WA were set out in the 1971 White Paper, Better Services for the Mentally Handicapped (Cmnd 4683) which envisaged a substantial shift from hospital care to care in the community. Since publication of the White Paper it has become evident that the number of hospital places thought to be required in the long term for mentally handicapped children was overestimated. Already fewer mentally handicapped children are now in hospital than the White Paper envisaged, and there is evidence that there are still children in hospital for whom alternative forms of care would be more appropriate, if available. The Government are asking health and social services authorities jointly to 1968WA review the needs of all mentally handicapped children now in hospital, and to set dates from which no further inappropriate hospital admissions will take place. These dates will depend on how soon acceptable alternatives can be provided in the areas concerned. Successive Government statements of priorities for health and social services expenditure have made clear the high priority we attach to improving services for mentally handicapped children.
House adjourned at twenty-two minutes past eleven o'clock.