§ Mr. KennedyTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will detail(a) the total number of places in Scotland currently in operation under the Scottish Association for Mental Health sheltered placement scheme, (b) the number of new places to be made available in Scotland in the year 1988–89, (c) the number and proportion of places occupied by disabled people whose principal disability relates to a mental illness and (d) if he has any plans further to extend sheltered employment opportunities for people disabled by mental illness.
§ Mr. LangThe information is as follows:
- a. the Scottish Association for Mental Health has only recently been approved as a scheme sponsor and is not sponsoring any placements in the current year;
- b. decisions on the level of central Government spending on the scheme in 1988/89 will be taken shortly, and I am not yet in a position to say how many new places will be made available in Scotland;
- c. at present there are eight severely disabled people whose principal handicap is mental illness occupying sheltered placements in Scotland, representing some 2 per cent. of the total number of placements; and
- d. the needs of the mentally ill will continue to be considered along with the other demands for sheltered employment opportunities.