§ Mr. Jim CunninghamTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the desirability of providing affordable housing for the mentally ill; and what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for the Environment on the subject. [19051]
§ Mr. BowisThe provision of suitable housing plays an important role in providing care for mentally ill people. Housing for those requiring community care is the responsibility of local statutory agencies, which should work closely together to meet local needs.
To help develop effective inter-agency working, the Department of Health, in partnership with the Department of the Environment, will host four regional seminars in June to consider housing for groups with special needs. The seminars will have mental illness as a linking theme. Ministers from both Departments met in December 1994 to discuss a range of housing and community care issues and will attend the seminars.