§ Mr. GalbraithTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if the commitment to close all major psychiatric and mental handicap hospitals by the year 2000 applies to Scotland; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Michael ForsythThere is no such commitment in Scotland. The Government's broad policy aim is to develop services which enable the mentally disordered to live in the community as far as possible. It is recognised, however, that there will be people who will still require continuous care and treatment in hospital and that there is a need to retain the mental hospital, albeit in a slimmed-down form, for the foreseeable future.