HC Deb 27 July 1976 vol 916 c209W
34. Mr. Forman

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he is satisfied with the quantity and quality of provision for the mentally handicapped.

Mr. Ennals

No. The White Paper "Better Services for the Mentally Handicapped" (Cmnd 4683) makes it clear that achievement of the targets it sets out would take some 20 years. The recently published consultative document "Priorities for Health and Personal Social Services in England" proposes giving sufficient priority to mental handicap services to maintain the White Paper timetable for local authority services while continuing to permit substantial progress in improving hospital services.