§ Mr. Tony Lloydasked the Secretary of State for Social Services, pursuant to the answer of 24 June, Official Report, columns 337–8, if he will publish on a regional basis such information as is collected centrally about funding arrangements for transfer of mentally handicapped people from hospitals to the community.
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeI regret that my earlier reply to the hon. Member contained, when printed, a typing error in the first sentence. The reply that I drafted stated
We do expect funds to transfer when responsibility for services for mentally handicapped people transfers from one authority to another.We expect authorities to make financial provision to support the local developments they propose, and to take account of all the services required when drawing up their plans. We look for evidence that this is happening when we scrutinise review papers, plans and programmes. I am not convinced that production of a centrally compiled account of funding arrangements within individual regions would be helpful without an equally detailed account of the service developments proposed. But I shall bear the hon. Member's suggestion in mind.