HC Deb 05 July 1972 vol 840 c152W
Mr. Meacher

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many persons in the last two years who have been diagnosed as psychiatrically ill have been refused admission to a psychiatric hospital for whatever reason.

Mr. Alison

Only a small proportion of patients diagnosed as suffering from mental illness require in-patient treatment. No detailed information is available about the number of patients for whom in-patient treatment has been considered desirable and for whom a suitable place has not been found; but I have no reason to suppose that such a situation occurs more than rarely.