HC Deb 15 November 1979 vol 973 cc747-8W
Mr. Steen

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many children are currently now living in long-stay hospitals in England; and what is the cost to public funds.

Sir George Young

The most recent figures available for England show that 89 children under the age of 16 had been resident in hospitals for the mentally ill and 3,344 in hospitals or units for the mentally handicapped for one year or more in December 1977. It is not possible to identify costs relating to children separately, but the average cost of care per in-patient day in 1977–78 was £13.60 in mental illness hospitals and £11.67 in mental handicap hospitals.

I regret that no information is available centrally on the number of children accommodated in other types of hospitals.