§ Mr. Kilroy-Silkasked the Secretary of State for Social Services which regional health authorities have not yet sent in plans for regional secure units; and what are their reasons for the delay.
§ Dr. VaughanEast Anglia, South-West Thames and North-West Thames regional health authorities have not so far submitted proposals for regional secure psychiatric units for departmental approval.
East Anglia has identified a possible site but decided to defer any further action, including consultation with local interests, pending the appointment of a consultant in forensic psychiatry. Such an appointment was recently made and I understand the consultant will take up the post in September.
South-West Thames has been undertaking local consultation on a proposal to provide a unit at Netherne Hospital. Its earlier proposal for a unit at Royal Earlswood hospital was dropped following local opposition and hence planning had to start again.
North-West Thames had difficulty in identifying a possible location for a unit, but has been exploring the feasibility of a
212Wamount of such overpayments which the Department decides in that year that it has no prospect of recovering. The actual overpayments may have occurred in that or any previous year. The individual amounts which make up the figures may be the whole overpayment in the case, or that part of it which remains after a partial, usually staged, repayment.
particular site. It is engaged in confidential and informal staff discussions on this.
§ Mr. Kilroy-Silkasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the 1979–80 special revenue allocation for regional secure psychiatric units for each regional health authority and the total received for each regional health authority since 1976; and how much has been spent so far by each regional health authority on providing regional secure units.
§ Dr. VaughanThe amounts of each region's special revenue allocation for regional secure psychiatric units in 1979–80 and the total received by each region since 1976 are as follows:
213W
RHA 1979–80 Total since 1976 £'000 £'000 Northern 465 1,646 Yorkshire 535 1,889 Trent 685 2,420 East Anglia 270 954 North-West Thames 520 1,833 North-East Thames 560 1,973 South-East Thames 545 1,917 South-West Thames 435 1,541 Wessex 400 1,408 Oxford 330 1,168 South Western 475 1,673 West Midlands 785 2,767 Mersey 375 1,328 North Western 620 2,183 The special allocations first made to the regions in 1976–77 were uplifted each year to take account of price rises and were built into the regions' allocations in the knowledge that the rate of progress in establishing permanent and interim secure facilities would be uneven throughout the country—for example public and staff attitudes on the location of interim and permanent units have delayed progress to varying degrees. The provisional amounts which each region has so far been able to spend on the provision of permanent and interim secure facilities and necessary preliminary work is set out below. The balances are meanwhile used for the improvement of services, primarily in the psychiatric field—including making special arrangements for difficult patients.
Provisional Total (from 1976–77 to 1978–79) Regional Health Authority £ Northern 69,421 Yorkshire 449,000 Trent 6,300 East Anglia 124,200 North-West Thames 335,000 North-East Thames Nil South-East Thames 234,000 South-West Thames 51,793 Wessex 628,000 Oxford Nil South Western Nil West Midlands 273,300 Mersey 428,784 North Western 496,000
§ Mr. Kilroy-Silkasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what steps he is proposing to take to get regional secure psychiatric units established; and what is his policy towards the units.
§ Dr. VaughanThe Government accept that there is an urgent need for secure psychiatric units to be established in each region, and will continue to press for these to be treated as a priority by the health authorities concerned.