This is the section relating to the reception of a patient in a mental institution, who, at the time of reception, is a person who is presumably able to pay for some part of his maintenance and treatment, but ceases to be so capable on leaving the institution. The institution then gives notice to the mental hospital authority which ordinarily should receive and maintain that patient. I can understand a situation in which a person, who is a wage or salary earner, and who, at the date of reception, is liable to pay a certain portion towards his maintenance and who finds, after a certain lapse of time, that that source of income dries up; but I am wondering what is the position with regard to persons who own property. One frequently finds that patients who are received in mental hospitals have certain property which may not be very great and in time a very great burden rests upon that property by reason of the fact that, when the patient is made a ward of court, there is an accumulation of maintenance. I think it would be much better, from the point of view of the preservation of the patient's property, if, from the beginning, there were a proper inquiry or determination as to his capacity to pay, in whole or in part, for his maintenance. That being determined, the question of arrears would not arise again.
I wonder if the Minister can indicate whether under Section 108, as amended, the position would not be created where persons who are detained in a mental hospital, for perhaps fairly prolonged periods, may find themselves on leaving that institution, by reason of the failure of the authority properly to assess their means, burdened with the payment of a large sum out of their capital in discharge of the cost of maintenance and treatment they have received in the mental hospital. I should be glad if the Minister would indicate if any change will be made by mental hospital authorities to ensure that all discharged patients will not be faced with a big bill which could have been paid out of income from property while they were detained in hospital.