§ Mr. Wigleyasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish a table showing for the latest available date the number of children under 16 years of age in each region of England who are living permanently (a) in long-stay mental subnormality hospitals and (b) in other institutional care; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mrs. CurrieThe figures available do not distinguish "institutional" from more homely care, nor do they distinguish "permanent" residents from those who are resident at that date for a short period.
National Health Service: Mental handicap hospitals and units are not categorised by the length of time people stay. Table 1 shows the number of children under 16 years of age resident in National Health Service mental handicap hospitals and units (of various sizes) at 31 December 1985, by regional health authority. The table also shows the number of children resident in small (fewer than 25 beds) National Health Service units providing community provision for mentally handicapped people. The figures include children admitted for short-term care—for example, for family respite—as well as permanent residents.
614WLocal Authority: Table 2 shows the number of children under 16 years of age resident in homes and hostels for mentally handicapped people at 31 March 1985, by local authority region. Most of these children were in local authority "homes" (of various sizes)—just over a quarter were accommodated in voluntary or private "homes". Again, the figures include short-term as well as permanent residents.
My right hon. Friend has already indicated that he is asking the Health Service to ensure that by the end of 1988 no mentally handicapped child receiving long-term care should be required to live in a large mental handicap hospital.
Table 1: Children under 16 resident in NHS mental handicap hospitals and units at 31 December 1985 Regional Health Authority Hospitals and units Small units in the community England 585 293 Northern 47 10 Yorkshire 40 5 Trent 81 — East Anglian 19 6 NW Thames 27 7 NE Thames 27 25 SE Thames 67 16 SW Thames 56 15 Wessex 63 70 Oxford 56 6 South Western 27 68 West Midlands 48 34 Mersey 19 3 North Western 5 28 Special Health Authorities 3 —
Table 2: Children under 16 resident in "homes" for mentally handicapped people at 31 March 1985† Local Authority Region Number England 1,468 Northern 94 Yorks/Humberside 150 North Western 301 West Midlands 125 East Midlands 70 Thames/Anglia 237 London 288 Southern 167 South Western 36 † Children in LA homes or in LA-sponsored residential places.