HC Deb 20 March 1990 vol 169 cc546-7W
Mr. Buckley

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to improve the availability of day care facilities for the mentally handicapped.

31. Mr. Bradley

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to improve the availability of day care facilities for the mentally handicapped.

105. Mr. Boyes

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to improve the availability of day care facilities for the mentally handicapped.

Mr. Caborn

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to improve the availability of day care facilities for the mentally handicapped.

Mr. Freeman

Over the last 10 years there has been a 26 per cent. increase in the number of day centre places for people with a mental handicap. We look to a continued expansion of such places as resources allow and commend to social services authorities the recent social services inspectorate report "Inspection of Day Services for People with a Mental Handicap" as a useful guide to good practice.

48. Mr. Brandon-Bravo

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made in the provision of services for the mentally handicapped since 1978–79.

72. Dame Jill Knight

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made in the provision of services for the mentally handicapped since 1978–79.

Mr. Caborn

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to improve the availability of day care facilities for the mentally handicapped.

Mr. Freeman

Considerable progress has been made in developing community-based services for mentally handicapped people.

Net expenditure by local authorities on residential accommodation and adult training centres increased by 88 per cent. in real terms to £271 million in 1987–88, and overall the number of places in residential homes, including those provided by the private and voluntary sectors, has doubled over the period (to 28,500), while the number of places in adult training centres and day centres has increased by 26 per cent. (to 53,000). The number of mentally handicapped people in hospital fell from 46,900 in 1978 to 27,700 in 1989 and by that year 11 out of the 14 regions had no mentally handicapped children in long-stay care in hospital. Despite this reduction, expenditure on hospital and community health services had grown by 11 per cent. in real terms (to £497 million) by 1986–87, the last year for which information is readily available, reflecting improved standards.

83. Mr. Robert G. Hughes

To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether any assistance will be given to health authorities for the provision of community services for the mentally ill and handicapped.

Mr. Freeman

Regional health authorities will make provision for community health services for the mentally ill and handicapped from within their main allocations together with any resources made available from the planned run down and closure of long-stay mental hospitals.

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