HC Deb 09 May 1983 vol 42 c210W
Mr. Kilroy-Silk

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what are the current Government guidelines for training centre places for mentally handicapped people;

(2) if he will publish a table showing which local authorities do not provide adult training centre places for mentally handicapped people at the level recommended in the Government guidelines.

Mr. Rossi

The 1971 White Paper, "Better Services for the Mentally Handicapped", set a target for occupational and training services for mentally handicapped adults of 150 places per 100,000 of the total population to be reached by 1991. The 1980 review of mental handicap services in England since the White Paper, "Mental Handicap: Progress, Problems and Priorities" retained this target.

Figures available for 31 March 1982 show that three authorities (Coventry, Liverpool and St. Helens) have already met their 1991 target and 77 other authorities are more than half way.