§ Mr. FearnTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what assessment he has made of the number, in each region, of(a) mentally handicapped, (b) mentally ill and (c) elderly patients who could be discharged into the community if adequate facilities were available.
§ Mrs. Currie[holding answer 26 July 1988]: The Department has not so far made an assessment of the number of such patients but will be seeking to do so from research findings and any assessments made by health authorities. It is likely to be several months before it is clear whether a useful national assessment can be made from these sources.