HC Deb 06 March 1995 vol 256 cc43-4W
Mr. Illsley

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much money has been spent by her Department on community care for the mentally ill, broken down by local authority for the three most recent years for which figures are available; and what is the proportion of the resources allocated to community care spent on mental health patients.

Mr. Bowis

Figures of expenditure by local authorities in England in 1990–91 to 1992–93 on services for people with mental health problems, and the corresponding percentages of expenditure on all services for adults, are shown in the table.

Figures for individual authorities, excluding apportioned overheads, for the years 1991–92 and 1992–93 will be placed in the Library. Comparable 1990–91 data for individual local authorities are not available centrally.

These figures show direct services for people with mental illness, and do not take account of other expenditure which it would not be possible to calculate separately.

Gross expenditure by local authorities on services for people with mental health problems, England1
Financial year Gross expenditure on mental health 2(£ million) As a percentage of expenditure on services for adults
1990–91 116 3.6
1991–92 180 5.0
1992–93 220 5.8

Notes:

1 These figures include apportioned overheads (to cover, for example, administration and training costs).

2 Includes fieldwork for mentally ill. Prior to 1991–92, expenditure on fieldwork was estimated by the Department of Health whereas after then it reflects actual expenditure as reported by local authorities.

Mr. Alex Carlile

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if her Department has undertaken research into the user's view of the transition from psychiatric long-stay hospitals to community care.

Mr. Bowis

A series of studies was carried out by the team for the assessment of psychiatric services which was set up in 1985 to monitor the closure of Friern and Claybury hospitals in the then North East Thames region, which established that the great majority of users preferred the new community-based services.