§ Mr. Humeasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will improve the provision of resources for adult training centres and social education centres for the mentally handicapped in Northern Ireland.
§ Mr. Chris Patten[pursuant to his reply, 17 December 1984, c. 63]: There are at present 2,129 training centre places available for mentally handicapped adults in Northern Ireland. There are a further 271 places in planning or under construction. The provision of adult training centres is a priority within the mental handicap programme and the Department's regional strategic plan. Additional places will be provided as resources permit.
§ Mr. Humeasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the provision of sheltered employment for the mentally handicapped in Northern Ireland.
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§ Mr. Chris Patten[pursuant to his reply, 17 December 1984, c. 63]: I understand that 79 mentally handicapped people are currently employed in three village communities run by the Glencraig trust. The communities are substantially grant-aided by the Government and are expected to expand their work force to 100 in 1985. In Ulster Sheltered Employment Ltd., 23 out of 135 severely disabled workers are mentally handicapped. Of these, 14 have been placed in sheltered industrial groups within host companies throughout Northern Ireland, where they work alongside the able-bodied and receive the same wages and conditions of service.
§ Mr. Humeasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the Government's attitude to and role in the dispute in the Western Board area arising from the sole deployment of young help workers as day centre bus assistants and the ICTU directive; and if he will suggest to the board that it employs full staff members to assist those using the buses or redeploy care assistants on short hours to do this work with the support of young help workers.
§ Mr. Chris Patten[pursuant to his reply, 17 December 1984, c. 63]: The Government regret this dispute, which is having the effect of depriving young people of an opportunity to do useful work and depriving the elderly and the handicapped of valuable assistance. The deployment of permanent staff and young help volunteers by the Western Health and Social Services Board is a matter for the board.
§ Mr. Humeasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement outlining the nature and extent of current provision for the mentally handicapped in Northern Ireland, what the Government's aims and objectives are in making such provision and whether he is satisfied that this provision will meet those objectives.
§ Mr. Chris Patten[pursuant to his reply, 17 December 1984, c. 63]: The Department of Health and Social Services and health and social services boards seek to meet the needs of mentally handicapped people in Northern Ireland through the provision of adult training centres, schools for mentally handicapped children, residential homes together with appropriate medical, nursing, paramedical and social work services. Hospital services are provided for those mentally handicapped people who require specialist medical and nursing care.
Details of the policy in respect of mentally handicapped people in Northern Ireland together with further information on actual and planned service provision and the type of development envisaged for the future are contained in the minutes of evidence of the Social Services Select Committee on community care.