§ Mr. Barry Jonesasked the Secretary of State for Wales what steps he will take to ensure that adequate short-term funds are made available to local health authorities to meet the cost of setting up properly funded community care schemes for the elderly, mentally ill and physically disabled people.
§ Mr. GristA variety of mechanisms already exist to provide central funds to health authorities in support of community care schemes for elderly, mentally ill and physically disabled people. These include joint finance, under which the Department collaborates financially with health authorities, local authorities and voluntary organisations, and the mental health development scheme, under which health authorities receive 100 per cent. central funding for projects for mentally ill people. In addition, the elderly initiative grant scheme launched in January this year provides grant-aid to health authorities and other agencies to set up innovative projects to test new patterns of community care for elderly people.