§ Mr. Irvingasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what specific measures he proposes to take to remedy the shortfall in community services for the mentally ill identified by the Audit Commission report, December 1986.
§ Mrs. CurrieAs I indicated in my reply to the right hon. Member for Manchester, Wythenshawe (Mr. Morris) on 20 January at column537, the Government do not think that the substantial progress already made in carrying forward the policy of community care is properly reflected in the Audit Commission report; in particular, in the mental illness field, its account of existing community facilities is misleading.
The challenge of providing a good comprehensive community-orientated modern service for mentally ill people has been patchily met by health and local authorities; and successive Governments have recognised that it will take a good deal of effort over a long period to produce the kind of service we want. But a great deal has been achieved; the Health Advisory Service, and Good Practices in Mental Health, with sponsorship from the Department have helped to catalogue and spread good practice. Since 1979 gross expenditure on hospital and community health services for mentally ill people had grown by 18 per cent. in real terms by 1985 and gross expenditure on personal social services for this group by 620W 47 per cent. (also in real terms) in the same period. A lot remains to be done; and funding for and pressure on authorities are designed to secure appropriate priority for services for mentally ill people.
We shall also await with interest the report of Sir Roy Griffiths' overview of community care policy announced by my right hon. Friend in his reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Kingswood (Mr. Hayward) on 16 December at columns 461–62.