HC Deb 19 December 1990 vol 183 cc242-3W
Mr. Burt

To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will next be reporting under section 11 of the Disabled Persons (Services, Consultation and Representation) Act 1986.

Mr. Dorrell

I have today laid before the House the report required by section 11 of the Disabled Persons (Services, Consultation and Representation) Act 1986. This report draws together the major initiatives taken by the Government during 1990 to improve services for people suffering from mental illness and mental handicap.

During 1990, the Government have authorised extra health and social service expenditure of £154 million over three years on services for people with a mental illness.

  1. 1. The new mental illness specific grant will support revenue expenditure of £90 million by social service departments.
  2. 2. The capital loans fund will provide £50 million to allow health authorities to provide modern facilities to replace long-stay psychiatric hospitals.
  3. 3. The Government has authorised £10 million of capital expenditure by local authorities in 1991–92 to develop facilities for the mentally ill.
  4. 4. The homeless mentally ill initiative will provide capital expenditure of £4 million to tackle the problem of homeless mentally ill people in London.

In addition to these extra resources, health authorities will be required from April 1991 to have instituted a care programme approach for people being treated in the community. This will ensure that the needs of each patient are assessed and that effective arrangements are made to ensure that those needs are met.

The Government have also announced a review of services for mentally disordered offenders. I am today announcing the membership of a steering committee whose task will be to review provision for mentally disordered offenders to ensure that they receive care and treatment in hospitals designed to meet their needs, rather than finding their way by default into the criminal justice system.

This is a record of progress which demonstrates the Government's commitment to provide high-quality locally based services, which meet the needs of people who suffer from mental illness and mental handicap. I expect to make a statement about the further development of services for people with a mental handicap early in 1991.