§ Mr. MichaelTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list for each health authority in Wales, in respect of (1) mental illness and (2) mental handicap(a) hospitals or wards planned for closure by 1996 for which Welsh Office approval has been given, (b) hospitals or wards for which approval has been sought, (c) hospitals or wards in respect of which closure is projected in the authority's 10-year plan and (d) hospitals or wards in respect of which the authority has otherwise indicated to the Welsh Office that it may seek approval to close, listing in each case the total number of beds available in each hospital or ward and the current level of occupancy.
§ Mr. Nicholas Bennett[holding answer 29 April]: The William Nicholls home, Cardiff and Llwyn View hospital, Dolgellau are the only proposals for decommissioning
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Financial allocations to education and library boards Belfast North Eastern South Eastern Southern Western Total Financial year £'000s £'000s £'000s £'000s £'000s £'000s 1986–87 Recurrent 48,566 49,382 39,220 41,144 42,834 227,746 Capital 3,773 6,541 6,063 6,439 4,875 27,691 1987–88 Recurrent 46,882 52,395 42,617 50,394 45,821 238,109 Capital 7,179 6,373 5,788 6,139 4,717 30,196 with the Secretary of State at this time. The capacity of William Nicholls is 47 beds of which 36 are occupied: the relevant figures for Llwyn View are 32 and 22.
There are no hospitals or wards which have been approved for closure by 1996, which are still open.
As regards future plans, it is envisaged, under the all-Wales mental illness and mental handicap strategies, that more appropriate patterns of local services will continue to be developed over the next decade and more. As a result, some existing wards and hospitals will be closed. However, plans are under development and no further firm plans for closure are before the Secretary of State at this time.