§ Mr. Bishopasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what further action he proposes to take to remedy the lack of essential supporting services for those helping to keep mentally handicapped children in the community, as required by the Mental Health Act, 1959.
§ Sir K. JosephAs I have already announced, it is my intention that part of the English share of the extra £110 million the Government plan to make available to the health and personal social services over the next four years should be used to expand community services for the mentally handicapped over and above the annual increase which would otherwise have been expected, and I am already in touch with the local authority associations to discuss priorities for the use of these extra funds. Support for families with mentally handicapped children living at home is a vital part of any comprehensive service. The number of qualified mental health social workers employed by local authorities has doubled since 1960, and the number of trainees is also growing. Facilities for daytime care, education and training, and for short-term residential care in emergencies and to relieve families under strain also continue to increase. I hope that the policy guidance I expect to issue this spring will provide further impetus to the development of these services.