HL Deb 19 March 1970 vol 308 cc1322-4WA
LORD O'HAGAN

asked Her Majesty's Government:

  1. 1. What percentage of the budget of the Medical Research Council has been allocated to research into:
    1. (a) mental illness;
    2. (b) subnormality;
    3. (c) the problems of psycho-geriatrics,
      • for each year since 1960.
  2. 2. What percentage of major building projects initiated or completed under the Department of Health and Social Security were, for each year since 1960, (a) mental illness; or (b) subnormality hospitals or projects closely connected with them.
    3. 1323
  3. 3. What percentage of National Health Service beds has been occupied by patients suffering from:
    1. (a) mental illness;
    2. (b) subnormality;
    3. (c) psycho-geriatric problems,
      • for each year since 1960.

THE MINISTER OF STATE, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND SOCIAL SECURITY (BARONESS SEROTA)

Medical Research Council's Budget:

1. The Medical Research Council's wide programme of research on mental disorders and associated psychological studies includes work in all these fields, but a detailed breakdown in this form is not available. Over the past ten years the Council's total expenditure on mental disorders (including related psychological work) has been as follows:—

Financial Year Mental Health Expenditure£ Percentage of Budget
1960–61 270,000 6.6
1961–62 368,000 7.8
1962–63 410,000 7.4
1963–64 510,000 7.8
1964–65 709,000 8.1
1965–66 771,000 8.0
1966–67 893,000 8.5
1967–68 945,000 8.4
1968–69 1,040,000 8.3
1969–70 1,151,000 8.1

Major Building Schemes:

2. Information is not readily available for hospital building starts for 1960–61 and 1961–62 or for each type of provision separately until 1966–67, or for completions before 1965–66. Nor is information readily available for projects by local authorities connected with mental illness or subnormality hospitals. Details of major building schemes by Regional Hospital Boards are as follows:—

Schemes (over £75,000) started per cent. of total value of starts of schemes over £75,000 each
Year Mental Illness Per cent. Mental Handicap Per cent. Total Per cent.
1962–63 — — 16.6
1963–64 — — 14.4
1964–65 — — 12.2
1965–66 — — 5.5
1966–67 2.1 1.9 4.0
1967–68 7.6 10.3 17.9
1968–69 6.1 8.2 14.3*
1969–70 6.6 7.0 13.6*
Schemes (fiver £100,000) completed per cent. of total value of schemes completed over £100,000 each
Year Mental Illness Per cent. Mental Handicap Per cent. Total Per cent.
1962–63 — — —
1963–64 — — —
1964–65 — — —
1965–66 2.2 10.9 13.1
1966–67 8.9 2.2 11. 1
1967–68 5.2 2.7 7.9
1968–69 4.9 3.8 8.7
1969–70 Not yet available
* These figures include an estimate for provision included in schemes for general hospitals.

National Health Service Beds:

3. A precise answer cannot be given to part 3c. of the Question. The percentages of National Health Service hospital beds in England and Wales occupied by patients in the following categories were: —

Year Mentally Ill Subnormal and Severely Subnormal Aged 65 and over occupying Mental Illness Beds
1960 29.3 11.9 Not available
1961 29.0 11.9 Not available
1962 28.7 12.0 Not available
1963 28.5 12.2 10.9
1964 27.9 12.2 Not available
1965 27.5 12.3 Not available
1966 26.9 12.4 11.3
1967 26.5 12.4 11.3
1968 25.9 12.5 11.3