§ Mr. Alex CarlileTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will meet with directors of social services in Wales to discuss with them the adequacy of day care provision and work experience for former patients who have moved to care in the community; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Nicholas BennettThe Welsh Office is in regular contact with directors of social services and their staffs to ensure the successful development of community care. The Welsh Office leads a systematic review of performance under our all-Wales mental handicap and mental illness strategies. Under the mental handicap strategy we are providing a record £34 million this year, of which some £7 million is supporting resettlement from hospitals and440W hostels, including all the necessary day opportunities. This is intended to have made possible by March 1992 the resettlement of some 350 people.
In the second year of the mental illness strategy we have more than doubled our commitment to £4–6 million, on top of the recurrent £13 million we provided under earlier initiatives. This has made possible a 25 per cent. reduction of in-patients between 1981–90 and the development of more flexible local services. We are supporting an independent research project to ensure that those resettled from hospital care in north Wales are able to lead better lives in their new homes.