HC Deb 09 April 1984 vol 58 cc121-2W
Mr. Boyes

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what was the total number of occupational therapists employed by local authorities in England on 31 March for each year between 1976 and 1982, inclusive;

(2) what was the total number of residential places provided by all local authority social services departments in England on 31 March each year between 1976 and 1982, inclusive;

(3) what was the total number of staff employed in residential care establishments by local authorities in England on 31 March each year between 1976 and 1982, inclusive;

(4) what was the total number of residential places provided by all local authority social services departments in England for mentally handicapped people on 31 March for each year between 1976 and 1982, inclusive;

(5) what was the total number of residential places provided by all local authority social services departments in England for the mentally ill on 31 March for each year between 1976 and 1982, inclusive;

(6) what was the total number of day care places provided for physically handicapped people by all local authority social services departments in England on 31 March for each year from 1976 to 1982, inclusive;

(7) what was the total number of residential places provided by all local authority social services departments in England for physically handicapped people on 31 March for each year from 1976 to 1982, inclusive.

Mr. John Patten

Local authority statistics for the personal social services are published annually by the Department in a series of booklets, and are available in the Library of the House. Numbers of qualified occupational therapists and staff employed in residential care establishments are shown in the series "Local Authority Social Services Statistics — Staff of Local Authority Social Service Departments" as at 30 September each year. Staff information for 1982 will be published by about the end of May, and a copy of the booklet will be placed in the Library of the House. Meanwhile the information requested for the year 1982 is set out in the table.

The total number of residential and day care places is shown separately for the different categories of client in the following series —"Residential accommodation for the Elderly and for Younger Physically Handicapped People", "Homes and Hostels for the Mentally Ill and Mentally Handicapped" and "Adult Training Centres for the Mentally Handicapped and Day Centres for the Mentally Ill, the Elderly and the Younger Physically Handicapped". Information for these series is available as at 31 March each year. No figures are available for residential places for children in care before 1983. The hon. Member may find it helpful to refer to the reply given by my hon. Friend to the hon. Member for Dunfermline, East (Mr. Brown) on 26 March, at column 58. The numbers of day care places provided for the physically handicapped do not include those provided for this group in mixed centres. Information about the number of residential places provided for physically handicapped people is not separately available from that for elderly people. The booklet showing residential places for elderly and younger physically handicapped people as at 31 March 1982 has not yet been published, and the number of places is shown in the table.

Total whole-time equivalent staff as at 30 September 1982 employed by local authorities in England (provisional)
Staffing Numbers
(i) Qualified occupational therapists 697
(ii) Staff of homes for the elderly and elderly mentally infirm 52,794
(iii) Staff of homes for the younger physically handicapped 1,411
(iv) Staff of homes and hostels for mentally ill 1,022
(v) Staff of homes and hostels for mentally handicapped adults 4,494
(vi) Staff of homes and hostels catering primarily for mentally handicapped children 2,191
(vii) Staff of community homes for children and young persons in care 20,510
(viii) Staff of other residential establishments 1,202
Places as at 31 March 1982 provided by local authorities in England (provisional)
Residential accommodation Numbers
(ix) Residential places for elderly and younger physically handicapped people 115,913