§ Mr. Ashley asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if he will introduce legislation to place upon health authorities a duty to provide a particular service in a particular place for long-term mental patients and psychogeriatrics even when constraints are placed on public expenditure;
§ Mr. Geoffrey Finsberg:I set out in my reply of 21 October to the hon. Member for Eccles (Mr. Carter-Jones) 204W a number of steps which we have already taken to improve the position of elderly psychiatric patients. We are concerned about their needs and will keep this matter under careful review, but there are no plans to alter the duties placed on health authorities by the National Health Service Act 1977. The services provided by health authorities depend on the resources available to them. Current expenditure by health authorities in 1981–82 is planned to be 4 per cent. above the level for 1978–79. I regret that information about any districts where there have been reductions in the beds available for this group of patients, resulting in a reduction in admissions, is not available centrally.