§ Mr. MichaelTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many places have been provided in the community in each health authority for people discharged from long-stay hospitals in the last five years.
§ Mr. Nicholas BennettThe accommodation needs of people leaving long-stay hospital accommodation are met in a number of ways including provision in registered residential and nursing homes and in tenancies granted by housing associations and local authorities. County plans, prepared jointly by social service departments, health authorities and other interests, for the development of services are required to set out the accommodation requirements to meet the assessed needs of individuals. Information is not readily available centrally on all these forms of accommodation. Available information is as follows:
Additional funds provided to health authorities under Welsh Office initiatives and grant schemes in 1990–91 were; £3.56 million under the mental handicap strategy; £1.9 million under the mental illness strategy; £0.63 million under the elderly initiative; and £1.0 million specifically earmarked for the voluntary hospice movement. These total £7.1 million as against a total of £2.5 million in 1989–90, an increase of 184 per cent.