§ Mr. Gordon Wilsonasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he intends to take steps to increase the number of places in hostels available to patients recovering from mental ill-health and attempting to re-enter the community at large.
§ Mr. Allan StewartThe Government believe that people recovering from mental illness should, in so far as this is possible, live in the community. The provision of residential accommodation and supporting services in the community is the responsibility of the social work departments of regional and islands councils. District and islands councils as housing authorities may provide hostel accommodation to met the needs of various groups.
Housing authorities are encouraged to increase the level of provision of housing for special groups including the mentally ill, within their available resources. Those considered vulnerable as a result of mental illness are specifically included in the priority categories of the Housing (Homeless Persons) Act 1977. Also, the Housing Corporation accords priority to the mentally disordered, as one of its special groups, in the allocation of resources to housing associations.