§ Mr. David Watkinsasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if it remains his policy to transfer care of the mentally handicapped and mentally ill from long-stay hospitals to community care.
§ Sir George Young: Our policies on care of the mentally ill and mentally handicapped are broadly those set out in the 1971 White Paper "Better Services for the Mentally Handicapped" (Cmnd. 4683) and in the 1975 White Paper "Better Services for the Mentally III" (Cmnd. 6233) ; that is that the general pattern of care will involve a shift of emphasis from hospital to community, but that some people will continue to need long-term care in hospitals.