§ 102. Mr. Sorensenasked the Minister of Health to what extent overcrowding of patients exists in public mental hospitals; what is the present shortage of staff and closing of beds compared with a year ago; and the present approximate number of voluntary patients who cannot be accommodated.
§ Mr. BevanIn January patients exceeded the available recognised accommodation by some 16,600 out of 112,000, and 3,000 beds were out of use through staff shortage. Comparisons with other years are useless, as accommodation standards were revised in 1946. I have no returns on the last point mentioned.