§ Mr. KirkwoodTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will take steps to ensure a co-ordinated approach between health boards and social health departments in Scotland on the provision of proper community care for long-term hospital patients who are mentally ill along the lines of that adopted in other parts of the United Kingdom.
§ Mr. LangAs stated in the White Paper "Caring for People", we intend to secure close co-operation between local authorities and health boards in the provision of appropriate community care services through the development of community care plans based on planning agreements. The National Health Service and Community Care Bill includes a provision placing a duty on local authorities to prepare such plans while the same result will be secured in the case of health boards by administrative means. We intend to monitor carefully the progress made in the implementation of plans through the reports which each local authority and health board will be required to provide.