§ Mr. Kilroy-Silkasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if, further to his answer, Official Report, 28 June 1979, columns 327–8, to the hon. Member for Ormskirk, he will now describe what he has done to help establish day care for the mentally ill.
§ Sir George YoungMy hon. Friend explained in June—[Vol. 969, c.328]—that he was considering what could usefully be done to provide a clear conception of what day care for the mentally ill should provide. We believe, as did our predecessors, that an important reason for the disappointing progress in day care is this lack of clarity. A start was made with the seminar organised by the Department last year and attended by people from the NHS, social services and voluntary bodies. My right hon. Friend has now asked the Department to build on this by reviewing the objectives of day care and by gathering and analysing information about good practice in meeting them. In the light of this work, we will review current policies and consider how best to get ideas and policies across to those at the local level providing and planning services for the mentally ill.