§ Mr. Alex CarlileTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) how many patients there are currently in mental handicap hospitals in Wales; how many he expects there to be on 1 January 1993, 1994 and 1995, respectively; and if he will make a statement;
(2) if he will make a statement on the progress of the transfer of patients in mental handicap hospitals in Wales to care in the community.
§ Mr. Gwilym JonesOn 31 March 1991 (the last available census report) there were 1,332 people with a mental handicap resident in specialist mental handicap hospitals and units in Wales. This compares with 2,089 residents on 5 April 1983, the year the all-Wales mental handicap strategy was launched. This represents a fall of over 36 per cent.
This has been made possible by the growth in new patterns of community based services, supported by earmarked payments from the Welsh Office. These total £41.5 million in 1992–93, an increase of over 20 per cent. on 1991–92. Of this record total, an additional £2 million has been earmarked to enable over 100 more people to be resettled into homes of their own.
The Secretary of State announced on 9 March his intention to relaunch the strategy from April 1993 for a further period of development. Resettlement from hospital care is one of a number of key priorities for development he highlighted in the "Framework for Development" document, a copy of which was sent to hon. Members representing Welsh constituencies and which is in the Library of the House. Actual numbers to be resettled will depend on the satisfactory development of new patterns of services to meet the assessed needs of individuals.