asked the Minister for Health his views on the great hardship being caused to mentally handicapped children and their parents as a result of the lack of provision of adequate residential facilities.
Written Answers. - Mentally Handicapped Children.
91.
I do not consider that the provision of extra residential facilities for mentally handicapped children, as distinct from those children who have now reached or will soon reach adulthood, is the most urgent need at present. Long-stay residential care for children should only be provided after other alternatives, such as family and hostel accommodation, have proved unsuitable.
In order to identify the current priority requirements in the mental handicap service and to assist in finding a solution to the problem, I have set up a small consultative group to examine the matter and to make recommendations to me. The first meeting of this group took place in June.