§ Mr. Wigleyasked the Secretary of State for Wales whether he will seek to ensure that a statutory responsibility is placed on local social services departments to ensure that mentally handicapped young people are found homes in the community rather than in long-stay institutions, whether these are in the public or private sector.
§ Mr. Mark RobinsonThere is a need for a range of provision for mentally handicapped young people in the community and county council social services departments, in close co-operation with district health authorities, district councils, voluntary organisations, parents and other representatives of mentally handicapped people are currently developing such provisions through the medium comprehensive county plans to be funded under the all-Wales mental handicap strategy. I am satisfied that this is the most appropriate way forward and that new statutory powers are unnecessary.
§ Mr. Wigleyasked the Secretary of State for Wales what applications he has received for funds, and for what purposes, under the All Wales Strategy for Mentally Handicapped Adults and Children from (a) Mudiad Ysgolion Meithrin and (b) the Pre-School Playgroups Association; what his reponse has been to these applications; and if he will make a statement elaborating on his decisions.
§ Mr. Mark RobinsonMudiad Ysgolion Meithrin submitted two unsuccessful applications in respect of the448W appointment of development and liaison officers to assess needs. The Pre-School Playgroups association submitted two successful applications for a playgroup referral scheme in Clwyd and a special liaison officer to coordinate activities in counties. Funding of projects under the strategy is approved largely in accordance with comprehensive county plans coordinated by social services departments. Voluntary organisations are encouraged to join local planning teams. In a few cases, including the PPA referral scheme, funding under the strategy was provided directly by the Department through a programme to launch the strategy in its first year. Central funding has also applied in cases where there has been an all-Wales element in the proposals. Each application is considered on its merits and we reached the view that, unlike the PPA projects, the MYM proposals were not based on proven groundwork previously undertaken in the counties.
§ Mr. Wigleyasked the Secretary of State for Wales if separate figures are yet available for the numbers of children in long-stay mental handicap hospitals in each district health authority and in each regional health authority in Wales; and for each authority, what are the numbers living in units of (a) 25 or more beds, and (b) under 25 beds.
§ Mr. Mark RobinsonThe following table shows, for each district health authority, the numbers of persons aged under 16 years who were resident in mental handicap hospitals and units with fewer than 25 beds on 5 April 1985, the latest date for which information is available. There were no persons aged under 16 years resident in mental handicap hospitals and units with 25 or more beds.
Number of residents aged under 16 years in mental handicap hospitals and units of fewer than 25 staffed available beds District health authority Number Clwyd 7 East Dyfed 9 Pembrokeshire 5 Gwent 5 Gwynedd 7 Mid Glamorgan 6 Powys 1 South Glamorgan 3 West Glamorgan —