§ Mr. Doddsasked the Minister of Health (1) under what circumstances a husband can be asked to contribute towards the maintenance of his wife as a National Health Service patient whilst certified and detained as insane under the Lunacy Act, 1890; and by what authority this demand is made;
(2) under what circumstances a person certified as insane and detained in a mental home or undergoing after-care can be required to pay towards maintenance costs: and by what authority this is done;
(3) under what circumstances a person certified as insane and detained in a mental institution as a National Health Service patient can be deemed to cease to be a National Health Service patient whilst still certified as insane; and by what authority this is done.
§ Mr. VosperUnless accommodation is provided under Section 4 or 5 of the National Health Service Act, 1946, or unless contributions are recovered under Section 28 of the National Health Service (Amendment) Act, 1949, from patients going outside the hospital to work, maintenance of a certified patient while he is a hospital in-patient under the National Health Service is the financial responsibility of the hospital management committee and the patient or his relatives cannot be asked to contribute towards it. So far as maintenance90W is concerned, the committee's responsibility under the National Health Service Acts is for the maintenance of in-patients, and when a certified patient leaves hospital on trial under the provisions of the Lunacy Act, 1890, he ceases to be a hospital in-patient. But the hospital management committee may make him an allowance under Section 55 (2) of the Lunacy Act. The National Health Service, in accordance with the needs and requirements of the patient is, of course, always available and no question can arise of the National Health Service in general being deemed to cease to be available.