§ Mr. Les Huckfieldasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will make a statement on his recent proposal to provide an additional £3 million to assist mentally handicapped persons to return to the community.
§ Mr. RossiMy right hon. Friend informed the House on 8 November that we propose to use over £20 million for central initiatives to benefit particular services, and that one of the initiatives to which he attaches particular importance is getting mentally handicapped children more suitably placed than they are in mental handicap hospitals. We realise that some health authorities have special problems in making more suitable provision—ecetera for historical reasons, they may have concentrations of mental handicap hospitals in their areas—and they will need help if they are to move these children before they grow up. On 22 November my hon. and learned Friend announced that £3 million had been allocated for this purpose in 1983–84 and we expect to make similar sums available in each of the next two years.
In view of the urgency for the children concerned, the Department has written to health authorities asking them to submit outline schemes and inviting bids for this money by 30 April 1983. The schemes may be for capital to buy, build or adapt domestic scale Health Service accommodation for severely handicapped children of 16 or under who need care in a health setting and/or for revenue for up to three years to help get a scheme off the ground. Priority will be given to schemes which would provide a local residential service in districts which at present have no health service provision outside mental handicap hospitals, or which would enable the children to return to their own neighbourhood. But consideration will be given also to helping with schemes under the joint finance arrangements which will enable children to be transferred to the care of local authorities or voluntary organisations where this best suits their needs or where this enables health authorities to use their resources to make better provision for other children whose handicaps do require a health setting.