§ Mr. Teddy Taylorasked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many places are available for the elderly in local authority residential homes and geriatric hospitals, respectively; and if he will provide comparable figures for each of the previous 10 years.
§ Mr. MillanThe information is as follows:
A. Places available for the elderly in local authority residential homes:— At 31st December: 1967 7,766 1968 8,014 1969 8,450 1970 8,421 1971 8,060 1972 8,136 1973 8,532 1974 8,778 1975 Not available At 31st March: 1976 8,979 1977 9,299 (provisional)
B. Number of designated geriatric beds (including contractual and joint user beds):— At 30th September: 1967 8,532 1968 9,169 1969 9,393 1970 9,564 1971 9,690 1972 9,679 1973 9,834 1974 10,040 1975 10,017 1976 10,231 At 31st March: 1977 10,204
§ Mr. Teddy Taylorasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to increase the numbers of places in local authority residential homes and geriatric hospitals for the elderly.
§ Mr. MillanWithin their capital allocations local authorities themselves decide on the level of provision to be made in residential accommodation for the elderly. The financial plans submitted to my Department indicate, however, that in the period to 1983 local authorities propose to provide some 900 new places, some of which may be to replace accommodation going out of use.
756WThe programme of major hospital building projects which I announced on 2nd May 1977 will provide for approximately 450 additional geriatric beds in Scotland as a whole. The major programme also makes provision for some 1,000 geriatric beds to replace existing facilities. Health boards finance from their own capital resources smaller schemes which will also provide new and replacement beds.