HC Deb 27 April 1983 vol 41 cc353-5W
Mr. Strang

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will estimate the numbers of mentally handicapped children under 16 years in each of the last 10 years in Scotland.

Mr. John MacKay

The total number of mentally handicapped children under 16 years of age is not known, and having regard to the numbers of mildly handicapped who do not use the special services provided we are unlikely to obtain an accurate figure.

On the basis of the information provided in the report on services for the mentally handicapped in Scotland "A Better Life", published in 1979, the estimated number of mentally handicapped children in need of special services in 1976 and 1981 was 13,790 and 12,380, respectively. For a full explanation of this estimate, I refer the hon. Member to chapter 2 of the report, which is in the Library of the House.

Mr. Strang

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will estimate the numbers of mentally handicapped children under 16 years resident in mental handicap hospitals in Scotland by age bands (a) for each health board area and (b) for each mental handicap hospital, together with the total number of residents.

Mr. John MacKay

The number of mentally handicapped children aged under 16 years, resident in mental handicap hospitals in Scotland at 31 December 1980 by age for(a) each health board area of treatment and (b) for each mental handicap hospital together with the total number of residents was as follows:

0–4 5–9 10–15 Total residents
Dunlop House 0 1 3 80
Ayr and Arran HB 0 1 3 80
St. Aidans 0 0 0 52
St. Marys 0 0 0 47
Borders HB 0 0 0 99
Caldwell House 0 0 18 89
Elderslie House 1 5 15 24
Merchiston 0 0 2 123
Broadfield 0 0 0 79
St. Marys 0 0 0 80

0–4 5–9 10–15 Total residents
Argyll and Clyde HB 1 5 35 395
Lynebank 2 13 42 386
Glen Lomond 0 0 0 81
Fife HB 2 13 42 467
Lennox Castle 1 1 33 1,332
Waverley Park 0 7 13 96
Greater Glasgow HB 1 8 46 1,428
Craig Phadrig 2 9 45 231
Highland HB 2 9 45 231
Bellefield 0 7 29 96
Birkwood 0 3 9 279
St. Charles 0 2 23 60
Kirklands 0 0 0 206
Lanarkshire HB 0 12 61 641
Woodlands 3 15 40 140
Ladysbridge 0 0 10 563
Grampian HB 3 15 50 703
East Fortune 0 1 1 93
St. Josephs 1 10 16 220
Gogarburn 0 7 29 566
Lothian HB 1 18 46 879
Strathmartine 4 6 34 547
Tayside HB 4 6 34 547
Royal Scottish National 0 8 80 1,118
Forth Valley HB 0 8 80 1,118

Mr. Strang

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will estimate the numbers of children under 16 years resident in (a) local authority and (b) registered voluntary homes for mentally handicapped children in each of the last 10 years in Scotland.

Mr. John MacKay

The information requested is available for the seven years from 1976 and is as follows. Comparable figures are not available for previous years.

Residents under 16 years of age in homes for mentally handicapped children at 31 March each year
Year Local Authority Homes Registered Voluntary Homes
1976 79 53
1977 63 44
1978 57 59
1979 55 63
1980 42 30
1981 32 29
1982 26 36

Mr. Strang

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will estimate the number of discharges of mentally handicapped children under 16 years from mental handicap hospitals in Scotland, together with the places discharged to, for each of the last 10 years.

Mr. John MacKay

The number of discharges of mentally handicapped children aged under 16 years from mental handicap hospitals in Scotland, by place discharged to, for each of the last 10 years—1971–1930 latest years available—was as follows:

1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980
Died 30 28 25 28 15 19 12 10 8 8
Home 260 289 317 254 297 354 426 433 710 751
Hostel 3 7 11 9 18 4 13 4 9 5
Transferred to other hospital care 38 44 50 42 47 27 24 27 21 19
All other discharges 19 14 15 11 19 7 10 10 15 9
Total 350 382 418 344 396 411 485 484 763 792

These are all discharges and include "holiday" admissions.

Mr. Strang

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will estimate the numbers of mentally handicapped children in Scotland under 16 years resident in mental handicap hospitals in Scotland by age bands.

Mr. John MacKay

The number of mentally handicapped children aged under 16 years at 31 December 1980 resident in mental handicap hospitals in Scotland by age was as follows:

Age Numbers
0–4 14
5–9 95
10–15 442
Total 551

Mr. Strang

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will estimate the numbers of mentally handicapped children under 16 years resident in mental handicap hospitals in Scotland (a) by total and (b) as a proportion per 100,000 of the population in each of the last 10 years.

Mr. John MacKay

The number of mentally handicapped children aged under 16 years resident at 31 December in mental handicap hospitals in Scotland(a) by total and (b) as a proportion per 100,000 of the population in each of the last 10 years — 1971–1980 latest years available—is as follows:

Total Rate/100,000 population aged 0–15 years
1971 1,385 95.8
1972 1,321 92.8
1973 1,206 85.4
1974 1,114 79.8
1975 1,018 74.4
1976 919 68.3
1977 837 63.7
1978 727 56.9
1979 643 51.5
1980 551 45.2

Age
All ages 0–14 15–24 25–34 35–44 45–54 55–64 65–74 75–84 85+
1971 451 250 96 32 37 15 13 5 1 2
1972 364 188 75 31 22 24 14 8 1 1
1973 345 168 86 30 27 16 10 8
1974 281 155 60 17 15 23 5 4 2
1975 309 153 68 26 26 18 11 3 4
1976 288 133 62 28 26 22 12 4 1
1977 289 124 78 21 21 24 11 9 1
1978 279 109 74 24 20 36 8 4 3 1
1979 273 120 66 26 13 22 13 11 2
1980 255 100 65 26 25 18 14 6 1

These include first 'holiday' admissions.