§ Mr. Tom Benyonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many people on a regional basis were detained under section 136 of the Mental Health Act 1959 in the last three years.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeThe only information I have relates to hospital admissions. The number of admissions under the section to National Health Service mental illness hospitals and units was as follows:
Regional Health Authority 1979 1980 1981 Northern 67 127 127 Yorkshire 29 29 32 Trent 25 34 35 East Anglia 41 29 22 North West Thames 426 484 524 North East Thames 477 504 469 South East Thames 151 284 311 South West Thames 314 291 305 Wessex 15 14 14 Oxford 1 2 5 South Western 18 33 22 West Midlands 23 33 28 Mersey 4 8 1 North Western 6 10 11 Boards of Governers (Special Health Authorities since 1 April 1982) 1 — — Totals 1,598 1,880 1,906 In addition, there were admissions to mental handicap hospitals as follows: One in North East Thames region and two in North Western region in 1979; one in North Western Thames region in 1980; one in North Western Thames region in 1981. There were no admissions to special hospitals under section 136 in any of these years.
- 1. Some patients will have been counted more than once if re-admitted under section 136 during the year.
- 2. Figures for 1982 are not yet available.