§ Sir D. Walker-Smithasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the present position in regard to the programming of the five hostels for mentally handicapped adults in Hertfordshire; and if he will ensure that construction of these hostels is authorised to proceed as programmed and without undue delay.
§ Sir K. JosephIn 1972 Hertfordshire County Council asked for seven hostels for mentally handicapped adults to be included in its capital building programme for the three-year period 1973–74 to 1975–76. As provision for Hertfordshire was, thanks to the initiative of the county council, already considerably higher than for the average local authority, it was necessary to use the money available disproportionately for those authorities not so far ahead and therefore to give provisional approval to two only of these projects, one for a hostel at Hoddesdon in the list for 1973–74 and a further one, at a site still to be chosen, in the list for 1975–76. A cost limit has been agreed for the Hoddesdon hostel, and, subject to a satisfactory tender being received, final approval for this hostel is likely to be given early in 1974–75. Local authorities have recently submitted programmes for the next three years and revised lists of schemes provisionally approved for 1974–75 to 1976–77 will be issued in due course.