§ Mrs. Margaret EwingTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what guidance his Department has issued to health boards on the need for increased spending on services for the elderly, mentally ill and mentally handicapped in line with the Scottish Office publication "Health Spending in Scotland", and the Sharpen report.
§ Mr. Michael ForsythThe Government have endorsed the high priority accorded by the Sharpen report to the provision of community care services for the mentally ill and the mentally handicapped. Decisions on spending on local services for particular groups are for individual health boards from the substantially increased resources made available to the National Health Service in Scotland.