HC Deb 19 July 1996 vol 281 cc723-4W
Mr. Llew Smith

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Gravesham (Mr. Arnold) of 2 July,Official Report, column 371, if he will list (a) the names, qualifications and affiliations of the members of the advisory panel for the interim report on residential provision for people with learning disabilities, (b) the criteria used to choose the advisory panel (c) the number of times the advisory panel met; and what assessment he has made of the degree of unanimity in agreeing the report. [37433]

Mr. Bowis

The members of the advisory panel wereProfessor David Felce PhD. Professor of Research in Learning Disabilities, University of Cardiff; Dr. Margaret Flynn BA Hons. Psychology, PhD, Assistant Director, National Development Team, Prince of Wales Fellow Royal College of General Practitioners; Professor Sheila Hollins MB BS FRC Psych, Head of Department of Psychiatry of Disability, St. George's Medical School; Chair of the Learning Disability Executive of the Royal College of Psychiatry; Professor Martin Knapp BA, MSc, PhD, Professorial Fellow and Director of the Personal Social Services Research Unit, London School of Economics and Political Science; Professor of Health Econometrics and Director of the Centre for Economics of Mental Health, Institute of Psychiatry; Professor Jim Mansell MSc.(Econ) AFBPsP CPsychol, Director of the Tizard Centre, Professor of the Applied Psychology of Learning Disability, University of Kent at Canterbury; Professor Norma Raynes, BA MSc PhD, Professor of Social Care in the School of Human and Health Sciences, University of Huddersfield; Professor David Sines PhD, BSc (lions), RMN, RNMH, FRCN, Department of Nursing and Health Visiting, University of Ulster; Chair of Learning Disabilities Coalition; and Dr. Lorna Wing MB BS FRC Psych, Psychiatric Consultant to the National Autistic Society.

Members of the panel were selected on the basis of their academic standing and expertise in learning disability. They were asked to help ensure that the literature review took account of all research studies on the topic published since 1980. The advisory panel was not asked to meet formally, nor was it essential for members to reach unanimity on all aspects of the research findings. The researchers were able to look to the panel for professional and academic input into the wide range of issues covered. This has been an important strength of the research.

Mr. Smith

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Gravesham (Mr. Arnold) of 2 July,Official Report, column 371, if he will set out the terms of reference for the report on residential provision for people with learning disabilities; and what was the cost of the report. [37428]

Mr. Bowis

The first phase of the evaluation of the costs and outcomes of various types of residential provision for people with learning disabilities was in two parts. First, a review of literature on residential provision for people with learning disabilities. The terms of reference wereto assess the state of knowledge about effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of different forms of residential accommodation for people with learning disabilities.

Secondly, an analysis of available information on the costs of village communities. The terms of reference were: to analyse and compare any information which is readily available on the financial costs of village communities and other forms of residential provision for people with learning disabilities".

Phase one of the evaluation cost £26,471.