§ Mr. Doddsasked the Minister of Health the number of patients in the Bexley Mental Hospital at the latest convenient date; and how many of these could leave the hospital if suitable alternative accommodation was available for them away from the atmosphere of a mental hospital.
§ Mr. Walker-SmithThe number of patients in the hospital on 9th April last was 2,062. In general the number of patients who could leave a psychiatric hospital if suitable alternative accommodation were available can only be realistically assessed in the light of detailed information as to the nature of the alternative accommodation and the kind of care that patients might be able to receive in it. For these reasons, while I have tried to answer earlier Questions by the hon. Member, I do not feel that a continued promulgation of such assessments, whose precision is necessarily limited by the above factors, would be appropriate or useful.