§ Mr. Alfred Morrisasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what resources additional to existing health authority budgets are to be allocated for the process of returning people to the community from long-stay hospitals; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeAn additional £16 million is to be allocated to health authorities for pilot projects designed to return people to the community from long-stay hospitals. Following the consultative document "Care in the Community" the rules on joint finance have been made more flexible in support of initiatives for moving people out of hospital. Joint finance allocations were increased from 1983–84 with these initiatives in mind. In addition, £3 million a year for three years is being made available for health care projects which move children out of long-stay mental handicap hospitals to more homelike accommodation in the community.
§ Mr. Alfred Morrisasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list the provisions for supporting in the community people who have sustained serious head injuries and who no longer require intensive medical treatment; and if any study has been made by his Department in particular cases of the comparative costs of such support and hospital care.
§ Mr. John PattenLocal authorities and community health services do not normally make specific provision for people with head injuries. They provide support for them in the community according to their individual needs, which will vary with the effect of their particular injury. No specific study has been made by the Department of the comparative costs of community support and hospital care, but I would expect these to vary widely, depending upon the effect of the injuries and the circumstances of the individuals concerned.
§ Mr. Alfred Morrisasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what new resources are to be made available to voluntary organisations for schemes to enable disabled people to remain in, or return to, the community.
§ Mr. NewtonThe Government stress the importance of the partnership between the voluntary and statutory sectors in the context of its care in the community policy. Under the joint finance scheme, health authorities can at present make payments to voluntary organisations and we hope to strengthen the voluntary involvement in this. In addition, much of the help given by the DHSS to voluntary bodies under section 64 of the Health Services and Public564W Health Act 1968 goes towards activities aimed at enabling disabled people to avoid institutionalised care. The estimated provision for section 64 grants in 1984–85 is £10.45 million—subject to parliamentary approval—compared with an estimated provision of £9.95 million in 1983–84.
§ Mr. Alfred Morrisasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what representations he has received from statutory and voluntary bodies about gaining access to funds made under the budget for the provision of care in the community.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeWe have received over 120 applications for inclusion in the programme of care in the community pilot projects, for which up to some £16 million of joint finance funds is being centrally reserved over the next four years. Voluntary organisations are involved in about one third of these proposals. We hope to announce shortly the projects selected for starting in 1984.