§ Mr. Gryllsasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many regional secure units have been completed (a) nationally, (b) in Greater London and (c) in south-east London; and how many inmates each of these units contained on 1 April.
§ Mr. Geoffrey FinsbergThe first permanent regional secure unit opened at St. Luke's Hospital, Middlebrough in November 1980. Twenty patients were resident i the unit at the end of March 1983. Two other permanent units, at Langdon hospital, Dawlish, and Towers hospital, Leicester, providing between them 90 places, are expected to admit their first patients within the next few months. Building work on a 20 place permanent unit for adolescents at Prestwich hospital, is expected to be completed very soon, and two further permanent units (at Rainhill hospital, Mersey, and St. Andrew's hospital, Thorpe, Norwich), providing 86 additional places are expected to be completed by the end of the year. No permanent regional secure units have been completed in the Thames regional health authority areas.
However, more than 600 places are now available nationally in 32 interim secure units. Six of these units, providing 124 places, are in the Thames regions, including three, providing 28 places, in South-East Thames region. Fourteen additional interim places are expected to become available in the North-West Thames region later this year.
Information is not collected centrally about the number of patients in interim secure units.