§ Mr. Hannamasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will issue guidelines to local authority social services departments regarding the regularity with which they review the numbers of children for whom they have responsibility in long-stay hospitals, and regarding the time scale for moving children out of such hospitals.
§ Mr. John PattenGuidance on this subject was issued by the Department to both local and health authorities in 1978, and has been repeated, in connection with mentally handicapped children, in 1981 and 1983.