§ Mr. Ashtonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what is the current expenditure per patient for the mentally handicapped by the Bassetlaw health authority; and how this compares with the national average;
(2) how many mentally handicapped patients have been sent out of Saxondale and Balderton hospitals, Nottinghamshire, to return to the Bassetlaw area health authority; and what extra money has been made available to take care of them;
(3) if he will now make the funds available fully to staff and maintain Hillside house, Kilton hospital, Worksop to provide short-term care facilities for the mentally handicapped;
(4) why parents in Bassetlaw have been advised that their mentally handicapped children can no longer use the facilities of Hillside house, Kilton hospital, Worksop;
(5) what comparison he has made of the provision for the mentally handicapped in (a) Worksop and (b) Bassetlaw constituency, Nottinghamshire; and what is the expenditure of other health authorities in Nottinghamshire, South Yorkshire and surrounding areas, respectively.
§ Mr. WhitneyResponsibility for the provision of local health services to mentally handicapped patients lies with individual regional and district health authorities. The hon. Member may therefore wish to make inquiries of the chairman of the Trent regional health authority.