§ Rev. Ian Paisleyasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) how many hostels for the mentally ill are provided by the Northern health and social services board; how many places there are in each of these hostels; and how many places are provided in hostels for the mentally ill in the area covered by the Antrim, North parliamentary constituency;
(2) what additional facilities the Northern health and social services board intends to provide for the mentally ill in its area in the next five years.
§ Mr. Chris PattenThe Northern health and social services board provides three hostels for the mentally ill. Records are not held by parliamentary constituency, but at 31 December 1981, the latest date for which figures are available, two hostels in the Antrim and Ballymena district provided 14 places and eight places, respectively. The third hostel, in the Newtownabbey district, provided 12 places.
A 60-bed unit for psychogeriatric patients is currently being constructed at Holywell hospital. The Northern board's plans for the development of services for the mentally ill over the next five years will have to take account of the regional plan for the health and personal social services in Northern Ireland 1983–88 which is to be published later this year.