HC Deb 22 April 1983 vol 41 cc195-6W
Mr. Kilroy-Silk

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) how many day care places for the mentally ill are currently available; how many of these are provided by voluntary organisations; and how many by local authorities;

(2) if he will list those local authorities that do not provide (a) day care places directly for the mentally-ill, and (b) direct residential provision;

(3) if he will take steps to ensure that local authorities meet the guideline figures on day care and residential places for the mentally ill;

(4) which local authorities' rate of growth in the provision of day care facilites for the mentally ill he regards as unsatisfactory;

(5) which local authorities have now met the minimum standards for (a) day care and (b) residential care for the mentally ill;

(6) if he is satisfied with the progress that local authorities are making in providing day care places for the mentally ill.

Mr. Geoffrey Finsberg

Statistics on the provision of day care and residential places for people who are mentally ill by local authorities in England are published annually in the Department's series of booklets "Department of Health and Social Security: Personal Social Services: Local Authority Statistics"—reference Nos, A/F82/8 on day centres and A/F 82/11 on homes and hostels. The figures for 31 March 1982, which are available in the Library of the House, include some places provided by voluntary organisations where the residents are supported financially by local authorities. The total number of day care and residential places provided by voluntary organisations is not known. Day care places are also provided in NHS mental illness day hospitals and at the end of 1981 there were about 15,200 such places.

The guidelines in the 1975 White Paper "Better Services for the Mentally Ill" (Cmnd 6233) were not intended to provide fixed targets achievable within a set period of time. The White Paper recognised that progress towards them would depend on economic circumstances. Subsequent developments in alternative ways of providing these services have eroded their validity—for example, those recovering from mental illness may live in "housing" not "residential accommodation". Because facilities can be provided by local authorities and voluntary organisations and because statistics on the latter are not available centrally, it is difficult to reach conclusions on the progress being made in individual local authority areas. In general we are pleased that progress is being made by local authorities, although we are aware of problems. The allocation of extra funds for joint finance announced by my hon. and learned Friend the Minister for Health on 14 March 1983—[Vol. 39, c. 54–55]—under our care in the community initiative should further assist progress.

There are no minimum standards set centrally for the provision of day and residential care for mentally ill people.