HC Deb 13 June 1978 vol 951 cc394-6W
Dr. M. S. Miller

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what provision exists in Scottish health authority areas for training the additional specialised staff required to supply the necessary support for the mentally handicapped and the mentally ill living at home or in hostels.

Mr. McElhone

Courses leading to the Certificate of Qualification in Social Work are provided at the universities of Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Stirling; at the Dundee, Jordanhill and Moray House Colleges of Education; Paisley College of Technology; Queen's College, Glasgow; Queen Margaret College, Edinburgh; and Robert Gordon's Institute of Technology, Aberdeen.

The number of students undertaking social work training has increased from 337 in 1970 to 828 in 1977. In addition, courses leading to the Diploma in Training and Further Education of Mentally-Handicapped Adults were introduced in 1975 at Clydebank Technical College and Kirkcaldy Technical College. A Certificate in Social Service Scheme has been established at Langside College, Glasgow, and further schemes of this type are at present being planned.

Dr. M. S. Miller

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he accepts the need for provision of funds to enable the improvement of availability of day centres for the mentally handicapped in Scotland; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. McElhone

I recognise the need for more day centres for mentally handicapped adults in certain areas. The provision of such facilities is the responsibility of regional and islands councils, which have discretion as to the extent to which they should allocate their available resources for this purpose. The local authority social work building programme for 1978–79 includes 19 adult training centres, which will provide approximately 1,350 additional places. A further 14 adult training centre projects are at present being planned by local authorities for inclusion in the forward building programme to 1982.

Provision has also been made in public expenditure programmes for local authority current expenditure on social work to continue to grow at a rate which should enable authorities to commission new facilities, and this is reflected in the annual rate support grant settlements.

Mrs. Bain

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list in the Official Report how much has been spent on after care for the mentally sick in each regional health authority in Scotland in the last year; and how this compares in real terms with each of the last five years, taking 1972 as base 100.

Mr. Harry Ewing

The information is not available, as almost all the services of a health board are concerned in part with the after-care of the mentally sick, and it is not practicable to isolate the expenditure involved.

Mrs. Bain

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list in the Official Report how much has been spent on the care of the mentally handicapped in each regional health authority in Scotland in the last year; and how this compares in real terms with each of the last five years, taking 1972 as base 100.

Mr. Harry Ewing

The information is not available, as almost all the services of a health board are to some extent involved in the care of the mentally handicapped, and it is not practicable to isolate the expenditure involved. Though the main burden falls on mental deficiency hospitals, there are mentally-handicapped patients in some mental illness hospitals, and they are also cared for, where appropriate, in other hospitals and in the community.