§ Dr. Roger Thomasasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make available extra finances 77W during the current financial year to meet the shortage of residential homes, supervised accommodation and hospital geriatric and psychogeriatric facilities required as a result of the considerable increase in the percentage of the population over the age of 75 years.
§ Mr. Geoffrey FinsbergThe growing numbers of very elderly people were taken into account when the Government's expenditure targets for 1982–83 were set. Forecast expenditure levels suggest real growth overall of more than 1 per cent. in health authority services and of 2 per cent. in local authority personal social services. It is for individual authorities, operating within national guidelines and taking account of local needs and priorities, to decide how best to allocate these increased resources.
The Government are making an additional £6 million available over the next three years to assist authorities by enabling projects to be mounted which will illustrate ways of improving services for elderly people with psychiatric disorders.