HC Deb 08 December 1993 vol 234 cc246-7W
Mr. Blunkett

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many active clients the four mental health teams have set up under the homeless mentally ill initiative; and of these, how many have moved into potentially permanent accommodation;

(2) if she will list for each of the four mental health teams set up under the homeless mentally ill initiative (a) the number of active clients, (b) how many have moved into potentially permanent accommodation and (c) how many clients were lost.

Mr. Bowis

[holding answer 2 December 1993]: The four community psychiatric teams set up under the homeless mentally ill initiative, for which figures are available, have had continuing contact over a period of time, with 1,222 clients; 301 of these have moved into potentially permanent accommodation.

These figures are broken down by each of the teams in the table, which also shows the number of clients lost.

The figures indicate that the HMI has been very successful in making contact with this vulnerable group of people and bringing a significant proportion of them into care.

Mr. Blunkett

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people entered a registered care home under the homeless mentally ill initiative(a) before and (b) after April 1993.

Mr. Bowis

[holding answer 2 December 1993]: Some homeless mentally ill initiative hostels have been set up as residential care homes. These hostels admitted 33 homeless mentally ill people before April 1993 and 27 after that date. In addition 49 homeless mentally ill people identified by the HMI community psychiatric teams entered other residential care homes before April 1993 and 19 after that date.

Mr. Blunkett

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many units of permanent accommodation have been provided as part of the homeless mentally ill initiative announced in July 1990.

Mr. Bowis

[holding answer 2 December 1993]: We have funded up to 150 specialist short-stay hostel places: five hostels are already open providing 61 places. More hostels are being developed.

Negotiations are currently taking place with interested parties, including the Housing Corporation, over the provision of permanent places to accommodate homeless mentally ill people in London.