§ Mrs. Doris Fisherasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what progress has been made towards the plan aimed at increasing hostels and reducing beds in mental hospitals by 40 per cent. by 1975.
§ Sir K. JosephI assume that the hon. Member is referring to the estimate in the 1962 Hospital Plan (Cmnd. 1604) that the number of beds required for mental illness would fall from 3.3 per336W 1,000 population at that time to 1.8 by 1975. In 1969 (the latest available date) there were 2.7 beds per 1,000 population. The decline in the number of beds reflects a reduction in the average length of stay in hospital rather than an increase in hostel provision, which has however been from 312 places to 2,400 between 1962 and 1969.