§ Mr. Kilroy-Silkasked the Secretary of State for Social Services when she 613W expects the target of hostel places for 2,000 men and 200 women as given the highest priority in the Home Office Report on the Habitual Drunken Offender (1971) to be reached.
§ Dr. OwenThe report stressed that the number of places required would depend upon the frequency and duration of their use and it recommended that expansion should be gradual and based upon identified need, not upon predetermined estimates of the numbers requiring hostel care. Our recently established Advisory Committee on Alcoholism has set up a sub-group to advise it on services for homeless alcoholics and to promote their development. In 1973 the Department assumed responsibility for the payment of grants to hostels providing about 250 places, formerly grant aided by the Home Office. Since then two local authority hostels, with 16 places, have been opened and capital grants have been authorised for 19 projects providing 204 new places. We expect to authorise other schemes shortly, but cannot forecast the pace of development in present financial circumstances.