§ Mr. Pawseyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he intends to amend his Department's circular referring to services for mental illness related to old age dated October 1972.
§ Mr. Geoffrey FinsbergWe hope shortly to publish guidance on the future pattern of hospital provision in England, which will include some general advice about the planning of services for psychiatric disorder related to old age. The health advisory service has also undertaken an excercise aimed at assisting health authorities to improve this aspect of their services, and hopes to formulate some conclusions at a conference in July. Following this conference we shall decide with the help of the HAS, whether to promulgate the results of this excercise, together with any other relevant developments, and this may affect the guidance given in the 1972 circular.