HC Deb 21 June 1994 vol 245 cc116-7W
Dr. Lynne Jones

To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she expects the report on homicides prepared by the confidential inquiry into homicides and suicides by mentally ill people to be completed; and when it will be published.

Mr. Bowis

The first report has been now completed but it has not yet been received by Ministers.

Dr. Lynne Jones

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) whether the remit of the inquiry into homicides by mentally ill people could be extended so as to include those who have been in active psychiatric care within the previous five years instead of within the previous year only;

(2) whether the present remit of the inquiry into homicides by mentally ill people includes those who should have received psychiatric care during the previous year but who discharged themselves from hospital or failed to keep out-patient appointments.

Mr. Bowis

The remit of the confidential inquiry is sufficiently wide to cover patients under the care of specialist psychiatric services who discharged themselves from hospital or failed to keep out-patient appointments within the year prior to their involvement in a homicide. As the inquiry relies on information received from clinical staff responsible for the care of the psychiatric patient prior to the homicide, it would be impracticable to extend its remit to cover a five-year period.

Dr. Lynne Jones

To ask the Secretary of Stale for Health if she will make a statement about the compatibility of the imposition of charges for attendance at local authority day centres by mentally ill people and the care programme approach.

Mr. Bowis

The introduction of the care programme approach from April 1991 did not affect the discretionary powers of local authorities to make reasonable charges for day centre attendance by mentally ill people. It is for individual local authorities to decide whether and to what extent to make such charges and to ensure that their

£ million
1988–89 outturn 1989–90 outturn 1990–91 outturn 1991–92 outturn 1992–93 outturn 1993–94 estimated outturn
Departmental administration
Non-staffing costs 77 79 100 112 133 122
VAT refunds on contracted-out services 0 -2 -1 -2 -1 -1
NHS Estates Agency
Non-staffing costs 0 0 0 4 3 5
NHS Pensions Agency
Non-staffing costs 0 0 0 0 0 12
Youth Treatment Service
Non-staffing costs 1 1 2 2 1 2
Medicines Control Agency
Non-staffing costs 3 2 3 3 3 0
Total 81 80 105 118 140 139

Notes:

1. Figures may not add exactly due to rounding effects.

2. The 1993–94 figures given are the estimates which were current at the time the Departmental Report was published.

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